Matsui will always be considered a Yankee

Believe it or not, there was a baseball life for Hideki Matsui before the New York Yankees, but you'd never know it.

Blame it on the Reggie Jackson thing.

Quick. When you think of Mr. October wearing a baseball uniform, what do you see, and how striking are the pinstripes?

Just so you know, Jackson played 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, and he spent most of that time with the Oakland A's, his team for the first 10 years of his career. In addition, there was his season with the Baltimore Orioles, and he also was with the California (now the Los Angeles) Angels for five seasons, which is interesting.

That was the same amount time Jackson was with the Yankees.

Even so, you say "Reggie" to those ranging from casual to ardent baseball fans, and they see Yankees visions. Three home runs on three pitches at old Yankee Stadium during the 1977 World Series. Nose-to-nose (ahem) chats with Billy Martin. The Boss.

They also see drama -- a bunch of Yankees drama, involving the self-proclaimed straw that stirs the drink.

Jackson is the poster child for the following: Once you do something huge as part of the Yankees, anything you did before the Yankees or after the Yankees becomes nearly irrelevant.

Take Graig Nettles, for instance. He played half of his 22 Major League seasons for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos.

Folks only remember Nettles' half with the Yankees.

David Wells was around for 21 Major League seasons, but he primarily was known for his four years in the Bronx, where his hero was Babe Ruth. The left-handed pitcher even wore an authentic cap of Babe Ruth's during parts of a Yankees home game. He also threw a perfect game for the Yankees, but to the chagrin of management, he wrote in his autobiography that he did so with a hangover.

What about Roger Clemens?

Was he more of a Red Sox guy or a Yankee?

It's a close call.

Yes, Clemens managed the first three of his seven Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox, and he captured a couple with the Toronto Blue Jays. But he did grab one with the Yankees, and he won his 300th game and recorded his 4,000th career strikeout in pinstripes.

Bigger than that, Clemens' Yankees made three trips to the World Series, and they won two of them.

Then there is Alex Rodriguez, with all of his great moments with the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. He'll be remembered the most for his great and not-so-great moments with a Yankees franchise that has featured just nine of his 19 years in the Major Leagues.

Which brings us to Matsui, who announced this week that he is retiring at 38 after 20 years in pro baseball as a prolific slugger.

Matusui was such a star for a decade with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League that he was known as Godzilla. He won three of the league's Most Valuable Player awards. He made nine straight trips to the All-Star Game, and he won three home run titles and three RBI titles. He also led the Giants into that league's equivalent to the World Series four times, and he helped them win three of them.

Little of that matters when it comes to Matsui's baseball legacy. All you need to know is that he spent October 2009 becoming as grand as Lou Gehrig and Ruth. He joined that duo back then as the only players to hit over .500 with three homers during the World Series.

It made Matsui the MVP of that Fall Classic, and it secured his image as more of a Yankee than anything else.

That's right. Even though Matsui was efficient overall during his seven seasons with the Yankees (.292 batting average, 140 homers), it only took a single moment -- that 2009 World Series -- to evolve into an unofficial lifetime Yankee.

See Aaron Boone.

He was with the Yankees one year. He spent his other 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with other teams.

Still, after Boone ripped his walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, he became just a Yankee.

In other words, CC Sabathia shouldn't even think about wearing a Cleveland Indians cap if he reaches Cooperstown.

While Boone and others had their Yankees "moment," Sabathia is among those with Yankees "moments."

First, let's return to Sabathia's pre-Bronx days, when he was splendid enough during his first eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Indians to reach three All-Star Games and to win an AL Cy Young Award. He also helped the Brewers make their first playoff trip in 26 years after he pitched brilliantly after he was traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee in the middle of the 2008 season.

Then came the Yankees. During Sabathia's first year with the team in 2009, he did much along the Yankees' journey to a world championship by winning ALCS MVP honors. Plus, he has led the Major Leagues in victories during two of his four seasons with the Yankees.

Anything else of significance that happens for Sabathia with the Yankees will be overkill.

He's already a Yankee forever.

Just like others.

Terence Moore is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Syracuse crushes West Virginia in Pinstripe Bowl

NEW YORK -- Their rivalry may be ending, but Syracuse and West Virginia can still put on a show.

The former partners in the Big East met in the snow-covered Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, and the result was a game fitting of their storied history. Syracuse, riding a stingy defense and a two-headed rushing attack, pounded West Virginia for a 38-14 victory.

Prince-Tyson Gulley scored three touchdowns to steal the spotlight for Syracuse, but the biggest story came from the circumstances. West Virginia and Syracuse have played each other in every season since 1955, but the future of their rivalry is in doubt after both teams joined new conferences.

West Virginia, a charter member of the Big East football conference, left this season to play its first year in the Big 12. And Syracuse, an original member of the basketball-centric Big East, will leave next year to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, ending an era rich in tradition.

"When I played, we were not in the Big East. We were a major independent and we played pretty much the same teams every year," Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said of his team's swan song. "We haven't really talked about it as much as a team. We are going into a conference that's competitive, not only athletically in all men's and women's sports, but also very competitive educationally and academically."

And if the last few months are any indication, Syracuse may have regained its footing as a football power. The Orange closed out the 2012 campaign with victories in six of their final seven games, and can boast of tying for the conference championship and taking a resounding Bowl win.

Syracuse has now been crowned Pinstripe Bowl champion for the second time in three years, and Marrone joked that he'd do well to schedule more games in the Bronx.

Syracuse rushed for 369 yards on the snow-capped field against the Mountaineers, with Gulley going for 212 yards on 25 carries and front-line back Jerome Smith springing for 157 yards of his own. West Virginia, by contrast, rushed for just 88 yards on 37 carries and couldn't make up the difference in the air.

"Those are some real men in the trenches," said Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib. "They really took over that game, because with the conditions, you have to be able to run the ball if you want to win that game. We came on the sidelines and said, 'Hey, if we're going to win, it's going to be behind our O-line and running backs.' They came in and did what they had to do. They killed it out there."

Indeed, the Syracuse line paved some huge holes for their running backs to plow through. The Orange used an early field goal and a sack of quarterback Geno Smith for a safety to take a 5-0 lead, then went ahead 12-0 on a 33-yard touchdown scamper by Gulley.

The junior halfback later broke the game open with a 67-yard run off right tackle, and he scored his third touchdown on a 10-yard swing pattern late in the third quarter. Gulley was named Most Valuable Player, and Marrone was thrilled by his back's performance.

"Prince has been a player that worked really hard, played with injury [and] has really come a long way in our program," Marrone said. "I couldn't be prouder of him sitting next to me."

Syracuse, primarily a passing team this season, took advantage of the conditions on Saturday in crafting its gameplan. The Orange ran the ball 65 times -- 31 in the first half and 34 in the second -- and managed to keep the ball away from the high-octane Mountaineers offense.

West Virginia came into the game as the seventh-highest scoring team in the country (41.6 points per game), but it had trouble finding its own comfort zone. The Mountaineers' two All-Conference receivers -- Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey -- were held to four catches for 43 yards in the first half.

Bailey finished with seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns, but one of them came with his team already trailing 26-7 in the third quarter. Smith, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, finished 16-for-25 for 197 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough for coach Dana Holgorsen.

"The team with the best running game is going to win, and they clearly had the better running game," Holgorsen said. "The one thing about what we have been able to do all year defensively is be able to control the line of scrimmage. Our pass defense was bad, but our run defense was OK. A game like this is where you have to rely on your run defense to win, and when you're not able to do it, it's pretty frustrating."

Syracuse, protecting a 19-7 lead in the third quarter, gave the ball back to West Virginia on an interception at their own 30-yard-line. But Smith was sacked and fumbled on the next play and Gulley followed with a run off tackle and up the sideline, sprinting 67 yards to give the Orange a 26-7 lead.

Syracuse became the first team since 2008 to register two safeties in a Bowl game, and exceeded 300 rushing yards for the first time since running for 348 yards against Buffalo in 2005. Perhaps most importantly, the Orange improved to 33-27 all-time against West Virginia.

"Over the four years, it hasn't been easy playing for Syracuse," Nassib said. "We've had some success and we've had a lot of ups and downs, but we've had a lot of fun doing it. Anything that happened to my career, I wouldn't have it any other way. It made me a better player. It made me a better man."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees confident as they construct roster for '13

NEW YORK -- There is less of an emphasis on winning the winter these days for the Yankees, as they have appeared content at times to allow other teams to make the splashiest moves of the offseason.

In retooling for next season, general manager Brian Cashman doesn't care much about newspaper back pages. He prefers to point to the noise the team made on the field, having won 95 games and the American League East despite having its roster repeatedly hit by injuries.

Thus, with many key pieces of the ballclub falling into place, the Yankees will watch the calendar flip toward another Spring Training in Tampa, Fla., and believe they still have what it takes to contend in a division that seems to be getting more challenging every year.

"The bottom line is tomorrow is not Opening Day, and so we've got a lot of time on the clock here to methodically continue putting a roster together," Cashman said. "We're putting something together that really has a chance to put us back where we were last year, which was winning the division and competing for the title."

A look ahead • Buy Yankees 2013 tix • Yankees '13 schedule • Yankees top prospects • Important dates

The Yanks weren't players for the biggest free agents this offseason, standing on the sidelines as outfielder Josh Hamilton secured a five-year, $125 million deal from the Angels and watching pitcher Zack Greinke land a six-year, $147 million pact with the Dodgers.

Working with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner's directive to reduce payroll beneath $189 million for 2014, digging deep for massive multiyear contracts wasn't a move that appeared in the Yankees' playbook this time around.

Instead, the club focused on retaining its talent from within: Cashman prioritized pitching and was able to secure Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera for a combined $37 million in one-year deals before turning his attention to pacts for third baseman Kevin Youkilis (one year, $12 million) and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (two years, $13 million).

The Yankees will be one of the older clubs in the Majors, but as long as the production level stays high, they won't have a problem fielding a lineup that's a little long in the tooth. Between now and Opening Day, they'll also continue to look for options to plug in just in case Plan A doesn't work out.

"I'm very satisfied and comfortable with the approach we're taking and how we're conducting our business," Cashman said. "We've been the big-game players and done the big contracts and had success doing that, and we've had failure doing that. We've also had success on the short-term stuff too, but every year is different. I'm comfortable with what we're doing."

Like the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball, the Yanks enter a new year with their share of questions. Here are 10 of theirs:

1. How will Derek Jeter bounce back?

At the moment Jeter crumpled with a fractured left ankle in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against the Tigers, you couldn't help but sense that the Yankees weren't going to advance much further without their shortstop and team captain. Jeter is expected to be rehabbing into the spring, but the Yanks continue to believe Jeter will be in place as their Opening Day shortstop. You can be sure that his defensive range, always a popular topic even before the injury, will be watched closely during the Grapefruit League games.

2. How will Youkilis look in pinstripes?

With Alex Rodriguez potentially lost until June or July following left hip surgery, the Yankees are counting on Youkilis to hold the fort at third base. They're very familiar with just how much Youkilis can wear down opposing pitchers from his time with the Red Sox, but Youkilis has also battled injuries and is trying to prove he can still be counted on as an everyday player. It might be jarring at first to see Youkilis wearing the interlocking "NY" on his chest, but his work ethic should help him fit in quickly.

3. Who will be the Opening Day catcher?

After being unable to match the Pirates' two-year, $17 million offer to Russell Martin, the Yankees are emphasizing defense behind the plate. Cashman has said that it is likely the Yanks already have their Opening Day catcher in the group of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, Austin Romine and perhaps Bobby Wilson, so it's apparent they won't be expecting someone to match Martin's 21 homers from last year. Whoever the catcher is, they'll need him to work well with the staff and save runs on the other side of the ball.

4. Will CC Sabathia stand tall as the ace?

It wasn't all that surprising to learn Sabathia needed to have his elbow cleaned up after the season; after all, there was a point where he was unable to lift his left arm above his head, forcing him to the disabled list. The Yankees don't believe there will be other lingering injuries, but it's no stretch to say that they need Sabathia to make a complete recovery for their blueprint to succeed. It's important that they be able to count on him for his usual 200 innings and 30-plus starts.

5. Can Mark Teixeira return to form?

Teixeira believes that if he hadn't been slowed by a lingering cough and a strained calf, his streak of seasons with 30 homers and 100 RBIs would still be intact. He might be right, as the calf alone cost him most of September, but Teixeira's other numbers have been sliding since his terrific '09 season. He said that he's no longer concerned with trying to bring up his batting average, embracing the power side of his game, and no one is waiting for him to bunt to beat the shift. The Yankees would still love to see his average inch closer to the .292 he hit in '09.

6. What will A-Rod be able to contribute?

At least the Yankees have a solid explanation of why Rodriguez struggled so much in the postseason, which probably defuses a lot of the controversy that could have carried over between Rodriguez and manager Joe Girardi. The Yanks believe Rodriguez will play in 2013, even though he'll probably be out until June or July. If he returns from hip surgery as a force like in '09, they'll be thrilled, but that might be wishful thinking. There's so much mileage on A-Rod's tires, so the Yankees just need to hope he can be an above-average option at third base and as a designated hitter -- not just in '13, but also with the next five years in mind as well.

7. How much magic does Rivera have left?

Why are the Yankees so confident Rivera can return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament at age 43 and be the same dominant closer? Well, as Cashman put it, Rivera has never failed, so there's no reason to believe he'll start now. There's always a chance that Rivera could wobble, but people have been forecasting that for years. As the Yanks say, even if Rivera is only 80 to 85 percent of what he showed in his prime, they'll take that over most of the other options out there. There's a solid chance that this could be the end of Rivera's fantastic career, and you can be certain he intends to go out on a high note.

8. What does the future hold for Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson?

The Yankees picked up the options on both Cano and Granderson for '13, and it's possible we could be seeing the last seasons in pinstripes for both players. Agent Scott Boras seems intent on bringing Cano to free agency, and with talk of a 10-year contract possible, the Yanks need to swallow hard at the thought of a team like the Dodgers getting a free crack at Cano. The Yankees quietly showed a willingness to discuss trading Granderson, but they'd need a big return to advance those talks -- his power would be tough to replace. It is possible that Granderson's only move of '13 will be to a new position, as the Yanks have talked about shifting Brett Gardner to center field and installing Granderson in a corner-outfield spot.

9. Can Pettitte and Kuroda still keep up in the AL East?

The Yankees' rotation looked much more appealing on paper once they officially slotted Pettitte and Kuroda back in for the '13 season, but there's no getting around that both of these veteran pitchers are a year older and some decline could be possible. The Yanks need both pitchers to eat innings, using their wisdom and guile to work with Yankee Stadium's dimensions and keep opponents off balance. Health is vital; Pettitte's broken ankle was unavoidable, but he had just seemed to find his groove. The Yankees must wonder what Pettitte's two lost months would have looked like.

10. How will next year's $189 million budgetary restrictions impact 2013?

We've already seen that the Yankees seemed allergic to multiyear contracts this offseason because of Hal Steinbrenner's directive to avoid paying the luxury tax in '14, which certainly impacted the construction of the '13 roster. It still could have a domino effect down the road: as Girardi has suggested, we might see a Yanks club that is reluctant to add certain pieces in season, such as near the Trade Deadline, if it threatens to throw their budgetary planning off course. That makes it all the more important that the pieces they have in place can succeed.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: Was getting Youk the right move?

Kevin Youkilis' transition from Red Sox crimson to Yankees pinstripes (by way of Chicago) is complete, and a two-year agreement with Ichiro Suzuki was announced last week, crossing another item off the to-do list.

The 2013 Yankees appear to be taking shape, but general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that they still have plenty of work to do between now and spring. Here's a look at some of the questions you're asking:

Why did the Yankees decide to sign Youkilis as opposed to giving the position to a Minor Leaguer until Alex Rodriguez is ready? They'd save quite a bit of cash and might discover a future star or trade bait at the same time.
-- Al S., Morocco

That would have been ideal, but the Yankees quickly made it very clear that they did not believe they had an in-house candidate to take over at third base. The club has refused to consider moving Eduardo Nunez back to third base, saying it only wants him to focus on refining his defense as a shortstop (possibly to boost his trade value), and Jayson Nix isn't viewed as an everyday player.

There also wasn't a whole lot to choose from at the upper levels of the Minors. The Yankees could have given David Adams, Corban Joseph or Ronnier Mustelier serious looks in the spring, but I'm not sure you can definitively say that any one of them would have been an answer if A-Rod winds up missing more time than expected. The organization thinks A-Rod should be back by June or July, but there's no guarantee there.

Have a question about the Yankees?

Instead, the Yankees were able to move forward with Youkilis on a short-term, flexible basis, which exactly lines up with their needs. His recent decline aside, the Yankees can at least point to Youkilis' solid track record of success in the league and know that -- in a worst-case scenario -- they should have their everyday third baseman for all of 2013.

It seems there is little chance the Yankees will re-sign Curtis Granderson after this season. Will they trade him to help restock the farm system?
-- David F., Boston

It's still possible, but not probable. The Yankees have made it known around the league that they are willing to listen to offers on Granderson, but I'm not sure they can receive enough in trade to make it worth their while. Granderson is due $15 million next season and will be seeking a long-term deal after 2013, which is sure to make some potential suitors think twice about parting with their top talent.

Granderson's strikeout totals (195 this year) are a turnoff as well, which is probably part of the reason you don't hear many people talking about the Yankees giving him the extension they'd hinted at earlier. Granderson has plus power, and that's also part of the reason why the Yankees might need to keep him around -- 43 homers is tough to replace, and especially needed in an outfield that figures to have both Brett Gardner and Ichiro in it. Granderson's power numbers would also suffer by not playing 81 games at Yankee Stadium, something any potential trading partner would have to consider.

I've been reading a lot about a pitcher named Mark Montgomery, who has been progressing through the Yankees' farm system. How close is he to pitching on the Major League level?
-- Ken S., Hicksville, N.Y.

Montgomery -- the organization's No. 14 prospect, according to MLB.com -- appears to be on the fast track to helping the Yankees. A strong showing in the Arizona Fall League didn't hurt his chances, and even if he begins the year in the Minors, he might be in position for an early-season callup. Contributions on the level that David Robertson provided in 2009 aren't out of the question.

With these latest signings, the Yankees are getting older. When will there be a youth movement?
-- Ed A., Jacksonville, Fla.

We hear this complaint a lot, and Cashman said that the advancing age of the Yankees roster is a concern. There are promising prospects (Gary Sanchez, Mason Williams, Tyler Austin and more) in the pipeline, but they've still got more to prove before seriously threatening to break into the Show.

The Yankees seem to be collecting guys well into their 30s and beyond this winter, which works with their criteria of obtaining talent on a flexible, one-year basis. Cashman defended his recent moves, saying the Yankees didn't like their other choices on the market.

"I'd say you're always concerned about [the age of the roster], but I'm not concerned about it when you look at the alternatives," Cashman said. "The alternative is, hey, I could get a younger player that just isn't very good. But hey, you could run him out there for 162 [games]; it wouldn't hurt, but he wouldn't help you."

What type of compensation will the Yankees get if Nick Swisher or Rafael Soriano sign with other teams, and will they get anything for Russell Martin?
-- Jody S., Peru

The Yankees will receive compensation picks at the end of the first round of the 2013 Draft, now that Swisher has signed with the Indians and Soriano seems to be a lock to sign elsewhere. They'll receive no such compensation for Martin, because the Yankees didn't extend him a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer; Martin likely would have accepted that, considering he signed with the Pirates for two years and $17 million.

Are the Yankees concerned about having an all left-handed outfield?
-- Chris W., King of Prussia, Pa.

It's something they need to address. Cashman has said he needs to find someone to fill the Andruw Jones role, and though the Yankees have had some success finding players in late January and early February, you'd rather not have to wait that long. This week's Minor League deal with Matt Diaz gives them something to look at in Spring Training with no risk attached. Scott Hairston's name has been floated quite a bit, and he'd seem to be a good fit, but Hairston is said to be looking for at least a two-year deal and we've seen that the Yankees are reluctant to offer those right now.

When will Mason Williams and Melky Mesa be ready to help the Yankees outfield?
-- Harris K., Schaumburg, Ill.

You know what they always say: prospects are suspects, at least until they make it. Mesa did make it into three Major League games late in the season, so it's possible you'll see him helping out at the big league level this year -- if not to start the year, then perhaps later. Williams, the Yankees' No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, had just 83 at-bats at Class A Tampa last year. That's probably where he'll start 2013, and the best estimate for his big league ETA would be '15.

With all this talk about starting pitching, I'm not hearing Michael Pineda's name anywhere. Did I miss something? Is he done for 2013?
-- Phil K., Pittsfield, Mass.

No, the Yankees are still quietly optimistic that Pineda will be able to help them at some point in 2013. If everything goes perfectly with his rehab, you might see him in the big leagues by June, but the Yankees are thinking of it as though anything they get from him will be a bonus. Considering the nature of Pineda's injury and the challenges that go with it, pitching coach Larry Rothschild recently said that it "would be a mistake" to count on Pineda helping the '13 club.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Matsui will always be considered a Yankee

Believe it or not, there was a baseball life for Hideki Matsui before the New York Yankees, but you'd never know it.

Blame it on the Reggie Jackson thing.

Quick. When you think of Mr. October wearing a baseball uniform, what do you see, and how striking are the pinstripes?

Just so you know, Jackson played 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, and he spent most of that time with the Oakland A's, his team for the first 10 years of his career. In addition, there was his season with the Baltimore Orioles, and he also was with the California (now the Los Angeles) Angels for five seasons, which is interesting.

That was the same amount time Jackson was with the Yankees.

Even so, you say "Reggie" to those ranging from casual to ardent baseball fans, and they see Yankees visions. Three home runs on three pitches at old Yankee Stadium during the 1977 World Series. Nose-to-nose (ahem) chats with Billy Martin. The Boss.

They also see drama -- a bunch of Yankees drama, involving the self-proclaimed straw that stirs the drink.

Jackson is the poster child for the following: Once you do something huge as part of the Yankees, anything you did before the Yankees or after the Yankees becomes nearly irrelevant.

Take Graig Nettles, for instance. He played half of his 22 Major League seasons for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos.

Folks only remember Nettles' half with the Yankees.

David Wells was around for 21 Major League seasons, but he primarily was known for his four years in the Bronx, where his hero was Babe Ruth. The left-handed pitcher even wore an authentic cap of Babe Ruth's during parts of a Yankees home game. He also threw a perfect game for the Yankees, but to the chagrin of management, he wrote in his autobiography that he did so with a hangover.

What about Roger Clemens?

Was he more of a Red Sox guy or a Yankee?

It's a close call.

Yes, Clemens managed the first three of his seven Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox, and he captured a couple with the Toronto Blue Jays. But he did grab one with the Yankees, and he won his 300th game and recorded his 4,000th career strikeout in pinstripes.

Bigger than that, Clemens' Yankees made three trips to the World Series, and they won two of them.

Then there is Alex Rodriguez, with all of his great moments with the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. He'll be remembered the most for his great and not-so-great moments with a Yankees franchise that has featured just nine of his 19 years in the Major Leagues.

Which brings us to Matsui, who announced this week that he is retiring at 38 after 20 years in pro baseball as a prolific slugger.

Matusui was such a star for a decade with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League that he was known as Godzilla. He won three of the league's Most Valuable Player awards. He made nine straight trips to the All-Star Game, and he won three home run titles and three RBI titles. He also led the Giants into that league's equivalent to the World Series four times, and he helped them win three of them.

Little of that matters when it comes to Matsui's baseball legacy. All you need to know is that he spent October 2009 becoming as grand as Lou Gehrig and Ruth. He joined that duo back then as the only players to hit over .500 with three homers during the World Series.

It made Matsui the MVP of that Fall Classic, and it secured his image as more of a Yankee than anything else.

That's right. Even though Matsui was efficient overall during his seven seasons with the Yankees (.292 batting average, 140 homers), it only took a single moment -- that 2009 World Series -- to evolve into an unofficial lifetime Yankee.

See Aaron Boone.

He was with the Yankees one year. He spent his other 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with other teams.

Still, after Boone ripped his walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, he became just a Yankee.

In other words, CC Sabathia shouldn't even think about wearing a Cleveland Indians cap if he reaches Cooperstown.

While Boone and others had their Yankees "moment," Sabathia is among those with Yankees "moments."

First, let's return to Sabathia's pre-Bronx days, when he was splendid enough during his first eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Indians to reach three All-Star Games and to win an AL Cy Young Award. He also helped the Brewers make their first playoff trip in 26 years after he pitched brilliantly after he was traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee in the middle of the 2008 season.

Then came the Yankees. During Sabathia's first year with the team in 2009, he did much along the Yankees' journey to a world championship by winning ALCS MVP honors. Plus, he has led the Major Leagues in victories during two of his four seasons with the Yankees.

Anything else of significance that happens for Sabathia with the Yankees will be overkill.

He's already a Yankee forever.

Just like others.

Terence Moore is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Syracuse crushes West Virginia in Pinstripe Bowl

NEW YORK -- Their rivalry may be ending, but Syracuse and West Virginia can still put on a show.

The former partners in the Big East met in the snow-covered Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, and the result was a game fitting of their storied history. Syracuse, riding a stingy defense and a two-headed rushing attack, pounded West Virginia for a 38-14 victory.

Prince-Tyson Gulley scored three touchdowns to steal the spotlight for Syracuse, but the biggest story came from the circumstances. West Virginia and Syracuse have played each other in every season since 1955, but the future of their rivalry is in doubt after both teams joined new conferences.

West Virginia, a charter member of the Big East football conference, left this season to play its first year in the Big 12. And Syracuse, an original member of the basketball-centric Big East, will leave next year to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, ending an era rich in tradition.

"When I played, we were not in the Big East. We were a major independent and we played pretty much the same teams every year," Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said of his team's swan song. "We haven't really talked about it as much as a team. We are going into a conference that's competitive, not only athletically in all men's and women's sports, but also very competitive educationally and academically."

And if the last few months are any indication, Syracuse may have regained its footing as a football power. The Orange closed out the 2012 campaign with victories in six of their final seven games, and can boast of tying for the conference championship and taking a resounding Bowl win.

Syracuse has now been crowned Pinstripe Bowl champion for the second time in three years, and Marrone joked that he'd do well to schedule more games in the Bronx.

Syracuse rushed for 369 yards on the snow-capped field against the Mountaineers, with Gulley going for 212 yards on 25 carries and front-line back Jerome Smith springing for 157 yards of his own. West Virginia, by contrast, rushed for just 88 yards on 37 carries and couldn't make up the difference in the air.

"Those are some real men in the trenches," said Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib. "They really took over that game, because with the conditions, you have to be able to run the ball if you want to win that game. We came on the sidelines and said, 'Hey, if we're going to win, it's going to be behind our O-line and running backs.' They came in and did what they had to do. They killed it out there."

Indeed, the Syracuse line paved some huge holes for their running backs to plow through. The Orange used an early field goal and a sack of quarterback Geno Smith for a safety to take a 5-0 lead, then went ahead 12-0 on a 33-yard touchdown scamper by Gulley.

The junior halfback later broke the game open with a 67-yard run off right tackle, and he scored his third touchdown on a 10-yard swing pattern late in the third quarter. Gulley was named Most Valuable Player, and Marrone was thrilled by his back's performance.

"Prince has been a player that worked really hard, played with injury [and] has really come a long way in our program," Marrone said. "I couldn't be prouder of him sitting next to me."

Syracuse, primarily a passing team this season, took advantage of the conditions on Saturday in crafting its gameplan. The Orange ran the ball 65 times -- 31 in the first half and 34 in the second -- and managed to keep the ball away from the high-octane Mountaineers offense.

West Virginia came into the game as the seventh-highest scoring team in the country (41.6 points per game), but it had trouble finding its own comfort zone. The Mountaineers' two All-Conference receivers -- Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey -- were held to four catches for 43 yards in the first half.

Bailey finished with seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns, but one of them came with his team already trailing 26-7 in the third quarter. Smith, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, finished 16-for-25 for 197 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough for coach Dana Holgorsen.

"The team with the best running game is going to win, and they clearly had the better running game," Holgorsen said. "The one thing about what we have been able to do all year defensively is be able to control the line of scrimmage. Our pass defense was bad, but our run defense was OK. A game like this is where you have to rely on your run defense to win, and when you're not able to do it, it's pretty frustrating."

Syracuse, protecting a 19-7 lead in the third quarter, gave the ball back to West Virginia on an interception at their own 30-yard-line. But Smith was sacked and fumbled on the next play and Gulley followed with a run off tackle and up the sideline, sprinting 67 yards to give the Orange a 26-7 lead.

Syracuse became the first team since 2008 to register two safeties in a Bowl game, and exceeded 300 rushing yards for the first time since running for 348 yards against Buffalo in 2005. Perhaps most importantly, the Orange improved to 33-27 all-time against West Virginia.

"Over the four years, it hasn't been easy playing for Syracuse," Nassib said. "We've had some success and we've had a lot of ups and downs, but we've had a lot of fun doing it. Anything that happened to my career, I wouldn't have it any other way. It made me a better player. It made me a better man."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Matsui was an immediate hit with the Yankees

Hideki Matsui made an immediate impression on the New York Yankees from the moment he slipped into pinstripes for the first time in the spring of 2003. First, he looked the way a New York Yankee is supposed to look. He was physically imposing, with 210 pounds packed tightly around a 6-foot-2 frame. He had huge hands and an effortless swing, and on that very first day in Tampa, he sprayed line drives to all fields.

He hit a grand slam in his first regular-season game at Yankee Stadium. Along the way, he quickly convinced a bunch of Yankees that he was the real deal. Derek Jeter liked him immediately. So did Roger Clemens and Bernie Williams and plenty of others. If they ever doubted, even for a minute, that his Japanese accomplishments would translate to success in the United States, they soon became convinced otherwise.

Still, that's not the thing they remember about Matsui, who announced his retirement on Thursday after 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, including seven with the Yankees. Matsui, 38, was an accomplished Yankee, averaging 28 doubles and 20 home runs a season. He didn't miss a game his first three seasons and was a two-time All-Star. He was also a World Series Most Valuable Player for hitting .615 in the 2009 Fall Classic.

Inside the Yankee clubhouse, he left another legacy. That was his personality and his sense of humor and his humility. It's unlikely any Yankees player has ever tried hard to be a good teammate and to fit into the fabric of the clubhouse. As Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement, "Hideki Matsui, in many ways, embodied what this organization stands for."

Upon learning of Matsui's retirement, Jeter released a statement calling him one of his favorite teammates. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman added, "People naturally gravitated towards him, and that's a direct reflection of his character."

Matsui's humor and grace extended off the field, too. In those first years, he was covered by a contingent of Japanese reporters that sometimes numbered more than three dozen. Matsui worked hard to be accommodating to the reporters while also attempting not to be disruptive to his teammates as they went about the business of preparing themselves to play.

He'd been a rock star of sorts in Japan. In the United States, though, he was a rookie trying to prove himself. He understood the difference.

The Yankees surely would tell you they got everything out of his seven seasons. He helped the Bronx Bombers win their 27th championship, but he also introduced the franchise to the millions of Japanese baseball fans.

He made the pinstripes cool in Tokyo, and in doing so, he gave American fans a reminder of good the baseball in Japan is. Matsui said his decision to retire, which came after he hit .147 in 34 games for the Rays last season, was based on the reality that he simply couldn't do things the way he'd done them when he was younger.

Matsui's enduring star power was on display Thursday in Manhattan, when an estimated 60 Japanese reporters showed up for his retirement announcement. He decided to walk away even though he said several Japanese teams had offered him a chance to play.

During his 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, he seemed a sure bet to manage once his playing career ended. If that ends up happening, the Yankees who played with him, coached him and admired him wouldn't be surprised.

He carried himself with the confidence of a great athlete, but as Cashman said, he was a personal magnetism that would make him a natural fit for a leadership position. For now, let's savor his 10 seasons in the United States.

He was a guy who worked hard to be at his best when the stakes were the highest. He was also a guy who understood that good teams are composed largely of players who put the team first and who understand what's really important in the grind of a nine-month season.

Matsui won't be remembered as the greatest Yankee who ever lived. He just was a guy who produced some special moments and was absolutely beloved by the people who knew him best. As legacies go, that's about as good as it gets.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: Was getting Youk the right move?

Kevin Youkilis' transition from Red Sox crimson to Yankees pinstripes (by way of Chicago) is complete, and a two-year agreement with Ichiro Suzuki was announced last week, crossing another item off the to-do list.

The 2013 Yankees appear to be taking shape, but general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that they still have plenty of work to do between now and spring. Here's a look at some of the questions you're asking:

Why did the Yankees decide to sign Youkilis as opposed to giving the position to a Minor Leaguer until Alex Rodriguez is ready? They'd save quite a bit of cash and might discover a future star or trade bait at the same time.
-- Al S., Morocco

That would have been ideal, but the Yankees quickly made it very clear that they did not believe they had an in-house candidate to take over at third base. The club has refused to consider moving Eduardo Nunez back to third base, saying it only wants him to focus on refining his defense as a shortstop (possibly to boost his trade value), and Jayson Nix isn't viewed as an everyday player.

There also wasn't a whole lot to choose from at the upper levels of the Minors. The Yankees could have given David Adams, Corban Joseph or Ronnier Mustelier serious looks in the spring, but I'm not sure you can definitively say that any one of them would have been an answer if A-Rod winds up missing more time than expected. The organization thinks A-Rod should be back by June or July, but there's no guarantee there.

Have a question about the Yankees?

Instead, the Yankees were able to move forward with Youkilis on a short-term, flexible basis, which exactly lines up with their needs. His recent decline aside, the Yankees can at least point to Youkilis' solid track record of success in the league and know that -- in a worst-case scenario -- they should have their everyday third baseman for all of 2013.

It seems there is little chance the Yankees will re-sign Curtis Granderson after this season. Will they trade him to help restock the farm system?
-- David F., Boston

It's still possible, but not probable. The Yankees have made it known around the league that they are willing to listen to offers on Granderson, but I'm not sure they can receive enough in trade to make it worth their while. Granderson is due $15 million next season and will be seeking a long-term deal after 2013, which is sure to make some potential suitors think twice about parting with their top talent.

Granderson's strikeout totals (195 this year) are a turnoff as well, which is probably part of the reason you don't hear many people talking about the Yankees giving him the extension they'd hinted at earlier. Granderson has plus power, and that's also part of the reason why the Yankees might need to keep him around -- 43 homers is tough to replace, and especially needed in an outfield that figures to have both Brett Gardner and Ichiro in it. Granderson's power numbers would also suffer by not playing 81 games at Yankee Stadium, something any potential trading partner would have to consider.

I've been reading a lot about a pitcher named Mark Montgomery, who has been progressing through the Yankees' farm system. How close is he to pitching on the Major League level?
-- Ken S., Hicksville, N.Y.

Montgomery -- the organization's No. 14 prospect, according to MLB.com -- appears to be on the fast track to helping the Yankees. A strong showing in the Arizona Fall League didn't hurt his chances, and even if he begins the year in the Minors, he might be in position for an early-season callup. Contributions on the level that David Robertson provided in 2009 aren't out of the question.

With these latest signings, the Yankees are getting older. When will there be a youth movement?
-- Ed A., Jacksonville, Fla.

We hear this complaint a lot, and Cashman said that the advancing age of the Yankees roster is a concern. There are promising prospects (Gary Sanchez, Mason Williams, Tyler Austin and more) in the pipeline, but they've still got more to prove before seriously threatening to break into the Show.

The Yankees seem to be collecting guys well into their 30s and beyond this winter, which works with their criteria of obtaining talent on a flexible, one-year basis. Cashman defended his recent moves, saying the Yankees didn't like their other choices on the market.

"I'd say you're always concerned about [the age of the roster], but I'm not concerned about it when you look at the alternatives," Cashman said. "The alternative is, hey, I could get a younger player that just isn't very good. But hey, you could run him out there for 162 [games]; it wouldn't hurt, but he wouldn't help you."

What type of compensation will the Yankees get if Nick Swisher or Rafael Soriano sign with other teams, and will they get anything for Russell Martin?
-- Jody S., Peru

The Yankees will receive compensation picks at the end of the first round of the 2013 Draft, now that Swisher has signed with the Indians and Soriano seems to be a lock to sign elsewhere. They'll receive no such compensation for Martin, because the Yankees didn't extend him a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer; Martin likely would have accepted that, considering he signed with the Pirates for two years and $17 million.

Are the Yankees concerned about having an all left-handed outfield?
-- Chris W., King of Prussia, Pa.

It's something they need to address. Cashman has said he needs to find someone to fill the Andruw Jones role, and though the Yankees have had some success finding players in late January and early February, you'd rather not have to wait that long. This week's Minor League deal with Matt Diaz gives them something to look at in Spring Training with no risk attached. Scott Hairston's name has been floated quite a bit, and he'd seem to be a good fit, but Hairston is said to be looking for at least a two-year deal and we've seen that the Yankees are reluctant to offer those right now.

When will Mason Williams and Melky Mesa be ready to help the Yankees outfield?
-- Harris K., Schaumburg, Ill.

You know what they always say: prospects are suspects, at least until they make it. Mesa did make it into three Major League games late in the season, so it's possible you'll see him helping out at the big league level this year -- if not to start the year, then perhaps later. Williams, the Yankees' No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, had just 83 at-bats at Class A Tampa last year. That's probably where he'll start 2013, and the best estimate for his big league ETA would be '15.

With all this talk about starting pitching, I'm not hearing Michael Pineda's name anywhere. Did I miss something? Is he done for 2013?
-- Phil K., Pittsfield, Mass.

No, the Yankees are still quietly optimistic that Pineda will be able to help them at some point in 2013. If everything goes perfectly with his rehab, you might see him in the big leagues by June, but the Yankees are thinking of it as though anything they get from him will be a bonus. Considering the nature of Pineda's injury and the challenges that go with it, pitching coach Larry Rothschild recently said that it "would be a mistake" to count on Pineda helping the '13 club.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Matsui will always be considered a Yankee

Believe it or not, there was a baseball life for Hideki Matsui before the New York Yankees, but you'd never know it.

Blame it on the Reggie Jackson thing.

Quick. When you think of Mr. October wearing a baseball uniform, what do you see, and how striking are the pinstripes?

Just so you know, Jackson played 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, and he spent most of that time with the Oakland A's, his team for the first 10 years of his career. In addition, there was his season with the Baltimore Orioles, and he also was with the California (now the Los Angeles) Angels for five seasons, which is interesting.

That was the same amount time Jackson was with the Yankees.

Even so, you say "Reggie" to those ranging from casual to ardent baseball fans, and they see Yankees visions. Three home runs on three pitches at old Yankee Stadium during the 1977 World Series. Nose-to-nose (ahem) chats with Billy Martin. The Boss.

They also see drama -- a bunch of Yankees drama, involving the self-proclaimed straw that stirs the drink.

Jackson is the poster child for the following: Once you do something huge as part of the Yankees, anything you did before the Yankees or after the Yankees becomes nearly irrelevant.

Take Graig Nettles, for instance. He played half of his 22 Major League seasons for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos.

Folks only remember Nettles' half with the Yankees.

David Wells was around for 21 Major League seasons, but he primarily was known for his four years in the Bronx, where his hero was Babe Ruth. The left-handed pitcher even wore an authentic cap of Babe Ruth's during parts of a Yankees home game. He also threw a perfect game for the Yankees, but to the chagrin of management, he wrote in his autobiography that he did so with a hangover.

What about Roger Clemens?

Was he more of a Red Sox guy or a Yankee?

It's a close call.

Yes, Clemens managed the first three of his seven Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox, and he captured a couple with the Toronto Blue Jays. But he did grab one with the Yankees, and he won his 300th game and recorded his 4,000th career strikeout in pinstripes.

Bigger than that, Clemens' Yankees made three trips to the World Series, and they won two of them.

Then there is Alex Rodriguez, with all of his great moments with the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. He'll be remembered the most for his great and not-so-great moments with a Yankees franchise that has featured just nine of his 19 years in the Major Leagues.

Which brings us to Matsui, who announced this week that he is retiring at 38 after 20 years in pro baseball as a prolific slugger.

Matusui was such a star for a decade with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League that he was known as Godzilla. He won three of the league's Most Valuable Player awards. He made nine straight trips to the All-Star Game, and he won three home run titles and three RBI titles. He also led the Giants into that league's equivalent to the World Series four times, and he helped them win three of them.

Little of that matters when it comes to Matsui's baseball legacy. All you need to know is that he spent October 2009 becoming as grand as Lou Gehrig and Ruth. He joined that duo back then as the only players to hit over .500 with three homers during the World Series.

It made Matsui the MVP of that Fall Classic, and it secured his image as more of a Yankee than anything else.

That's right. Even though Matsui was efficient overall during his seven seasons with the Yankees (.292 batting average, 140 homers), it only took a single moment -- that 2009 World Series -- to evolve into an unofficial lifetime Yankee.

See Aaron Boone.

He was with the Yankees one year. He spent his other 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with other teams.

Still, after Boone ripped his walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, he became just a Yankee.

In other words, CC Sabathia shouldn't even think about wearing a Cleveland Indians cap if he reaches Cooperstown.

While Boone and others had their Yankees "moment," Sabathia is among those with Yankees "moments."

First, let's return to Sabathia's pre-Bronx days, when he was splendid enough during his first eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Indians to reach three All-Star Games and to win an AL Cy Young Award. He also helped the Brewers make their first playoff trip in 26 years after he pitched brilliantly after he was traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee in the middle of the 2008 season.

Then came the Yankees. During Sabathia's first year with the team in 2009, he did much along the Yankees' journey to a world championship by winning ALCS MVP honors. Plus, he has led the Major Leagues in victories during two of his four seasons with the Yankees.

Anything else of significance that happens for Sabathia with the Yankees will be overkill.

He's already a Yankee forever.

Just like others.

Terence Moore is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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In '12, Yanks' Series dreams dashed by cold bats

NEW YORK -- For better or worse, the 2012 Yankees will be remembered as a team that had its lineup go completely cold at the wrong time, and their disappointing showing in the postseason was certainly the subject of much head-scratching.

It's only fair to remember that long before the Yanks were convincingly swept by the Tigers for the American League pennant, New York overcame a crushing rash of injuries to win 95 games and hold off a feisty Orioles club for the division title.

That doesn't necessarily excuse how the season wrapped up, nor should it -- the Yankees have set their standard at the very top, and the fact is that they've only achieved their ultimate goal of a World Series title once in the last 12 seasons.

"With all the things that went wrong last year, we still won the division and had home-field advantage in the playoffs," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "Unfortunately, we had a rough ALCS and you can throw out 10 different scenarios of why that happened. Fact is, we didn't play well enough."

Looking back at 2012 • Yankees 2012 stats • Final standings • Hot Stove Tracker

Then again, if you knew coming into the season that the Yankees were going to weather serious injuries to Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Brett Gardner and Michael Pineda -- well, maybe 95 wins and an ALCS berth wouldn't sound so bad.

"The World Series is hard to win," manager Joe Girardi said. "You can have all the pieces in place, and you can go to Spring Training thinking you have the team to win, and a lot of times it doesn't happen."

Girardi became the fourth Yankees manager to lead the team to four consecutive postseason appearances, joining Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Joe Torre, and his Yanks held at least a share of first place in the AL East for 114 consecutive days from June 12 through the end of the season.

Built to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's hitter-friendly dimensions, the Yankees lived and died by the long ball. They slugged a franchise-record 245 homers to surpass the club mark set in '09, including a Major League-leading 10 grand slams.

Curtis Granderson's 43 homers paced the team, Derek Jeter showed there was plenty of life in his smooth swing with a Major League-leading 216 hits, and Robinson Cano was a regular-season monster who garnered some AL MVP Award consideration.

The Yankees also enjoyed terrific pitching during the postseason, a factor that carried over from the regular season. They had three starters -- Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes -- win at least 15 games, and Rafael Soriano solidified a bullpen reeling from the season-ending loss of Rivera in early May to secure 42 saves in 46 opportunities.

It was a performance that, ultimately, produced plenty of applause, but finished with another statement from Hal Steinbrenner's office that included the word "disappointment."

As the Yanks try to address their weaknesses in an division that seems to be getting tougher every season, here is one final look back at the highs and lows of 2012, recapped by the top five storylines of the calendar year.

5. With no Mo, Soriano answers the call

The unthinkable happened for the Yankees on May 3, as Rivera lay writhing in agony on the warning track at Kauffman Stadium, his season cut short by a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. Rivera had enjoyed baiting reporters with vague hints at retirement coming into the season, but this certainly wasn't the way he anticipated going out.

Somehow, the Yankees seemed prepared for a scenario under which Rivera would pitch just 8 1/3 innings. They were fortunate to have a closer-in-waiting with Soriano, who was superb stepping into Rivera's role, punctuating each of his 42 saves by violently untucking his jersey from his uniform pants.

With Rivera vowing to return to closing in 2013, the Yankees and Soriano will likely part ways, with Soriano having opted out of his contract and in search of a larger deal elsewhere. The Yanks should be thankful for his services, however: as Jeter said, there's little chance they would have been able to get to the postseason without him.

4. Ichiro finds a new home

The afternoon of July 22 was a surreal one for the Yankees, as Ichiro Suzuki switched sides of Seattle's Safeco Field and tried on a set of Yanks road grays for size. Ichiro had approached the Mariners for a trade earlier in the season, recognizing that he no longer fit in with a much younger club.

The Yankees had a desire for a speedy outfielder with Gardner lost to an elbow injury for most of the season, but Ichiro also seemed to need the Yankees. Surrounded by experienced veterans and a winning atmosphere, Ichiro raised his game and batted .322 with five homers, 27 RBIs and 21 steals in 67 games the rest of the way, helping the Yanks lock up the division.

Ichiro quickly became a fan favorite in the Bronx, and all of those quick-selling T-shirts should have some more shelf life in them. Ichiro reportedly accepted less money to stay in the Bronx, working with the Yankees on a new two-year, $13 million contract.

3. The Captain keeps charging

It's unfortunate that the last on-field image of Jeter in 2012 was of him hobbling off with a wrecked left ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS, needing to lean on both Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue for support just to get to the dugout. Jeter was playing through pain for an extended period, quite literally pushing his ankle until it simply could take no more.

We may never know how much Jeter was actually suffering, because his performance refused to show it. At age 38, Jeter seemed just as good as ever, leading the big leagues with 216 hits and pushing his all-time total to 3,304: continuing to fuel speculation that maybe -- just maybe? -- Pete Rose's all-time hits record of 4,256 could be within reach.

Jeter, as you'd expect, shrugged off those thoughts of individual accomplishments and remained focused on trying to win another World Series to his season's bitter end. There are major challenges of rehab and recovery ahead as Jeter heads to '13, but the Yankees expect their shortstop to be right where he belongs by Opening Day.

2. Another AL East title, but it wasn't easy

For the 13th time since 1996 and the 18th time in franchise history, the Yankees celebrated standing as champions of the AL East. But despite holding a 10-game lead on July 18, it took until the season's final day for the Yanks to officially hold off an Orioles club that refused to fade under manager Buck Showalter's guidance.

The tight AL East race forced the Yankees to play with a must-win mentality for most of September, making every series feel like a playoff series. It was in early September that the Yanks shuttered the doors of the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field, booting reporters out of the room as Rodriguez took center stage and urged his teammates to take "small bites" and play with a tight, October-like mentality.

Few would have anticipated the team's .188 batting average in the playoffs, but during the charge to the postseason, they pointed to their veteran leadership and experience as a major factor in preventing them from wilting under the pressure of the sprint to the finish line.

1. Winter arrives on a chilly Thursday in Detroit

The ending always seems to be the most important part of any Yankees season, and for the third straight year, it wrapped up without a World Series championship. The Yanks went out with a whimper in the ALCS, failing to score in 36 of 39 innings and never holding a lead. With their season on the line in Game 4, they watched Sabathia get knocked out in the fourth inning and managed just two hits before winter arrived.

They did edge Baltimore club in a hard-fought AL Division Series that needed the full five games to be decided, highlighted in part by Raul Ibanez's amazing postseason, as he became the first player in Major League history to slug three home runs in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason.

Ibanez found those opportunities to succeed, of course, because of A-Rod's mighty struggles. Rodriguez finished the postseason 3-for-25 (.120), including 0-for-18 against right-handed pitching. Though the Yankees eventually found a reasonable explanation by learning Rodriguez's left hip was damaged and needed surgery, there was plenty of drama as Girardi was forced to pinch-hit for and bench his highest-paid player in the games that counted the most.

A-Rod may have made the biggest headlines, but Cano fizzled after a red-hot finish to his season, setting a new Major League record for postseason futility with an 0-for-29 streak against Orioles and Tigers pitching. Granderson and Nick Swisher were also among those who contributed little to the Yanks' attack with the season on the line, forcing Girardi to also find spots on the bench for them.

It was absolutely not the ending that the Yankees envisioned, not when they were racking up a grand total of 804 regular-season runs, second in the Majors only to the Rangers' 808. But the last 11 games of the season are the most difficult to win, and so the Yanks have little choice but to regroup and try once again to finish the job in '13.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Ibanez's heroics were key to Yankees' success

NEW YORK -- The audience at Yankee Stadium was thinning for the late innings of a postseason game, an unthinkable scene for anyone who witnessed the dynasty seasons, but perhaps understandable considering the more recent punchless showings by the home lineup.

Those caught in a flood of brake lights on the Major Deegan Expressway hadn't counted on Raul Ibanez's entry into the history books, and as they listened to John Sterling's bellowing radio call, they must have immediately regretted the decision to exit early.

"I don't even really remember what happened," Ibanez said on the evening of Oct. 10, appearing simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated as he recounted his stunning swings. "It was kind of a blur, what happened. I think sometime down the line, I'll kind of remember it and recall it, but I think I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit."

He got two, and to properly tell this story, we need to flash back to earlier on that crisp night in the Bronx, with the Yankees trailing by a run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Orioles.

Alex Rodriguez was due to bat against sinkerballing closer Jim Johnson, but after a terse dugout conversation with manager Joe Girardi, A-Rod planted himself on the bench and switched to a cheerleading role.

Ibanez, a 40-year-old veteran who joked in the spring that he was joining the Yanks only because they'd beaten his Phillies in the 2009 World Series, tightened the straps on his gloves and dug in. After looking at a pitch, he ripped Johnson's second offering over the auxiliary scoreboard in right field, tying the game and setting off a raucous party in the Bronx.

"I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit, not trying to do too much," Ibanez said. "Just trying to put a short swing on the first one, and it worked out. I was able to get a good pitch and hit it hard."

No one seemed to enjoy the blast more than A-Rod, who high-fived his teammates and hugged Ibanez on the dugout steps, silently hiding an injured left hip that would eventually be revealed to need surgery.

"Raul's my guy from Miami. Raul has been phenomenal," Rodriguez said that night. "The consensus was the same; we've never seen anything like that of that magnitude."

After the homer, Rodriguez pointed to Mariano Rivera on the railing. It was later revealed that Rivera had called Ibanez's shot.

"I did. I told Alex," Rivera said. "That's part of the game."

But even Rivera couldn't have predicted the finish. In the 12th inning, Ibanez answered the call and sent the Yankees home happy. Ibanez's blast on the first pitch from lefty Brian Matusz went even further than the first to give the Yanks a thrilling 3-2 victory.

"The second one, same thing, not trying to do too much," Ibanez said. "I think the tendency late in the game when the game is tied is, as players, we try to do a little too much. I was trying to fight that feeling, trying not to do too much, and fortunately it worked out."

Ibanez's flourish for the dramatic wasn't a complete shock: On Sept. 22 against the Athletics, Ibanez homered twice in a 14-inning Yankees win after starting the game on the bench, and on Oct. 2 against the Red Sox, he hit a ninth-inning homer to tie the game before connecting for the game-winning hit in extra frames.

"In baseball, there's no clock: we all know that," Mark Teixeira said. "And if you have a couple outs left, something magical can happen."

Girardi pushed the same button several more times during the postseason, with varying levels of success, and it turned out that Ibanez's big bat did have one more clutch blow to deliver.

Three days after rocking the Stadium's concrete, Ibanez helped fuel a rally that seemed even more improbable on Oct. 13, in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

The Yanks, in a sign of things to come, trailed by four runs heading to the ninth inning against Tigers closer Jose Valverde, but Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-run homer with Russell Martin aboard to halve the deficit.

Teixeira worked an eight-pitch walk from the struggling Valverde, and Ibanez dug for the second pitch he saw, blasting an arcing drive that forced right fielder Avisail Garcia to leap in vain.

"I'm just trying to help the team win any way I can," said Ibanez, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Mariners this week. "Guys had some great at-bats before that. Ichiro obviously hit the homer and Tex's at-bat was unbelievable, and Robbie Cano had a long at-bat and fouled off a bunch of pitches. They deserve a lot of credit for that, too."

Alas for the Yankees, their magic was about to run out. Derek Jeter's left ankle would shatter in pursuit of a ground ball three innings later and their season would be over within the week, a disappointing ending to a postseason run that held so much promise.

But while the Bombers and their fans may look back with regrets at the playoffs of 2012, anyone who was privy to the events of Oct. 10 and Oct. 13 walked out of Yankee Stadium knowing they'd witnessed something very special, thanks to Ibanez's three swings of the bat.

"Being a part of something like this -- this great team, and obviously all the legends that have come before you here -- it is an extraordinary feeling, and it is a great blessing," said Ibanez.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Report: Veteran outfielder Diaz lands Minors deal

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 12/26/12 6:40 PM ET

NEW YORK -- The Yankees may have found a low-cost fit in their search for a right-handed-hitting outfielder, reportedly agreeing to terms on a Minor League contract with Matt Diaz.

The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday that the Yankees will extend a Spring Training invitation to Diaz, who turns 35 in March and had his 2012 season with the Braves cut short due to injury.

The Yankees, who typically announce their Minor League signings en masse closer to Spring Training, have not officially announced the agreement.

Diaz is a career .291 hitter in 10 seasons with the Rays, Royals, Braves and Pirates.

Because of a right thumb injury that required season-ending surgery in August, Diaz played in just 51 games for Atlanta in 2012, batting .222 with two home runs and 13 RBIs.

He earned $2 million for the second year of a two-year, $4.25 million deal originally signed with Pittsburgh.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that the club is looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder to serve in the role that Andruw Jones had filled over the last two seasons.

New York currently has an all left-handed-hitting outfield -- Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki.

The Yankees are believed to have shown a level of interest in free-agent outfielder Scott Hairston as well, but the right-handed-hitting option reportedly is seeking at least a two-year deal, something the club has been reluctant to offer.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Backstop Romine could make impact in '13

Injuries, free-agent departures and budget adjustments have placed the New York Yankees roster in transition.

Usually approaching the offseason with a minor agenda for change, the Yankees have several positions to fill this winter with different faces.

Their free-agent departures included veteran catcher Russell Martin, a reliable defender and good receiver for his pitchers. In the second half last season, Martin's offense improved and he made important contributions at the plate.

If they aren't involved in a trade or acquisition for a starting catcher, it looks as if the Yankees will begin Spring Training with catching options that include veterans Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli to go along with 24-year-old prospect Austin Romine.

Each of the three are considered defense-first catchers, a factor valued by manager Joe Girardi, himself a veteran of 15 Major League seasons behind the plate.

Romine was an extremely good player at El Toro High School (Orange County, Calif.). He hit .418, .407 and .493 in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, respectively.

After high school, the Yankees selected Romine with their second-round pick in the 2007 First Year Player Draft.

The son of former Boston Red Sox outfielder Kevin Romine, Austin comes from a baseball family. His older brother, Andrew, is an infielder on the roster of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Because he signed late, Austin Romine saw action in only one game in 2007. The following season he hit .300 in 436 plate appearances, while catching for the Charleston club in the South Atlantic League. He showed good contact, striking out just 56 times. He also hit 10 home runs.

This past season, Romine played at three classifications, hitting .243 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 120 plate appearances. His season was limited due to a back injury that kept him out of the lineup.

To gain additional catching experience this fall, and to make up for missed hitting opportunities, Romine made his third appearance in the Arizona Fall League. He also played in the league in 2009 and '10. I was able to watch him play during all three seasons.

Romine, six feet and 220 pounds, looked rather slow and a bit out of sync at the plate in the AFL. In the past, I have seen his hands get through the ball much quicker and with greater torque. However, he may have been a bit rusty from limited hitting during the season.

When I have seen him at his best, Romine was able to take pitches to the right-center-field gap. In Arizona, he had four doubles among his 14 hits on his way to a .222 batting average.

However, showing an ability I had seen before, Romine made good contact, striking out just 13 times in his 63 at-bats.

If there was an issue that surfaced in Romine's hitting mechanics, it was the tardiness of his bat. He didn't get his swing in the path of the ball quickly enough to consistently drive the pitch.

His stance, his weight shift and his overall swing plane seemed fine. However, his bat dragged, causing weak contact. Too often his swing was long and somewhat loopy, requiring extra time as well.

While offense is certainly important to the Yankees and can't be dismissed, Romine does offer good defensive skills behind the plate.

Solid Major League catchers are multifaceted, talented athletes. Few are perfect in every phase of catching.

First, catchers must be good receivers of pitches.

Good catchers must know the strengths and weaknesses of opposing hitters. They must lead their pitcher through a game by calling for the correct pitch at the correct time.

Footwork behind the plate to block balls and get in proper throwing position is crucial for success.

Keeping the team informed of every situation -- the number of outs and any potential defensive plays -- adds to the importance of the catcher as the focal point of a defense.

Finally, having an ability to throw quickly and accurately with good strength and carry on the ball is vital.

I have found Romine to be capable in most of those essential areas.

Arm strength might be Romine's most well-developed tool, though he needs a bit of improvement with his accuracy. This past fall, 27 runners tried to steal while Romine was catching. He threw out eight.

Throwing out potential base stealers is a three-part transaction involving the pitcher and the catcher.

Ideally, the pitch must arrive in the catcher's glove in 1.3 to 1.4 seconds from the time the pitcher's hands separate to throw the pitch. That step is probably the most important component of the equation.

Secondly, the catcher must pop up from his crouch and transfer the pitch from glove to hand and get the ball to second base in less than two seconds. Most good Major League catchers have times anywhere from 1.8 to 1.98 seconds.

Third, the catcher's throw must be accurate to the infielder covering the base. (It also helps if the runner is slow.)

In most instances, runners steal because the pitch arrives at the plate too slowly to give the catcher a chance to react, transfer and throw quickly enough. Of course, the catcher must first recognize the runner is trying to steal.

Romine is a very solid partner in the transaction. In the games I observed, he consistently released the ball in sufficient time.

Receiving the ball well, moving well behind the plate, working well with his pitchers and controlling the running game are attributes that Romine will bring to the catching corps of the New York Yankees.

While his offense remains a work in progress, the club will benefit by his leadership potential in a crucial position during the Yankees' current roster transition.

Bernie Pleskoff has served as a professional scout for the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Follow @BerniePleskoff on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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In '12, Yanks' Series dreams dashed by cold bats

NEW YORK -- For better or worse, the 2012 Yankees will be remembered as a team that had its lineup go completely cold at the wrong time, and their disappointing showing in the postseason was certainly the subject of much head-scratching.

It's only fair to remember that long before the Yanks were convincingly swept by the Tigers for the American League pennant, New York overcame a crushing rash of injuries to win 95 games and hold off a feisty Orioles club for the division title.

That doesn't necessarily excuse how the season wrapped up, nor should it -- the Yankees have set their standard at the very top, and the fact is that they've only achieved their ultimate goal of a World Series title once in the last 12 seasons.

"With all the things that went wrong last year, we still won the division and had home-field advantage in the playoffs," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "Unfortunately, we had a rough ALCS and you can throw out 10 different scenarios of why that happened. Fact is, we didn't play well enough."

Looking back at 2012 • Yankees 2012 stats • Final standings • Hot Stove Tracker

Then again, if you knew coming into the season that the Yankees were going to weather serious injuries to Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Brett Gardner and Michael Pineda -- well, maybe 95 wins and an ALCS berth wouldn't sound so bad.

"The World Series is hard to win," manager Joe Girardi said. "You can have all the pieces in place, and you can go to Spring Training thinking you have the team to win, and a lot of times it doesn't happen."

Girardi became the fourth Yankees manager to lead the team to four consecutive postseason appearances, joining Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Joe Torre, and his Yanks held at least a share of first place in the AL East for 114 consecutive days from June 12 through the end of the season.

Built to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's hitter-friendly dimensions, the Yankees lived and died by the long ball. They slugged a franchise-record 245 homers to surpass the club mark set in '09, including a Major League-leading 10 grand slams.

Curtis Granderson's 43 homers paced the team, Derek Jeter showed there was plenty of life in his smooth swing with a Major League-leading 216 hits, and Robinson Cano was a regular-season monster who garnered some AL MVP Award consideration.

The Yankees also enjoyed terrific pitching during the postseason, a factor that carried over from the regular season. They had three starters -- Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes -- win at least 15 games, and Rafael Soriano solidified a bullpen reeling from the season-ending loss of Rivera in early May to secure 42 saves in 46 opportunities.

It was a performance that, ultimately, produced plenty of applause, but finished with another statement from Hal Steinbrenner's office that included the word "disappointment."

As the Yanks try to address their weaknesses in an division that seems to be getting tougher every season, here is one final look back at the highs and lows of 2012, recapped by the top five storylines of the calendar year.

5. With no Mo, Soriano answers the call

The unthinkable happened for the Yankees on May 3, as Rivera lay writhing in agony on the warning track at Kauffman Stadium, his season cut short by a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. Rivera had enjoyed baiting reporters with vague hints at retirement coming into the season, but this certainly wasn't the way he anticipated going out.

Somehow, the Yankees seemed prepared for a scenario under which Rivera would pitch just 8 1/3 innings. They were fortunate to have a closer-in-waiting with Soriano, who was superb stepping into Rivera's role, punctuating each of his 42 saves by violently untucking his jersey from his uniform pants.

With Rivera vowing to return to closing in 2013, the Yankees and Soriano will likely part ways, with Soriano having opted out of his contract and in search of a larger deal elsewhere. The Yanks should be thankful for his services, however: as Jeter said, there's little chance they would have been able to get to the postseason without him.

4. Ichiro finds a new home

The afternoon of July 22 was a surreal one for the Yankees, as Ichiro Suzuki switched sides of Seattle's Safeco Field and tried on a set of Yanks road grays for size. Ichiro had approached the Mariners for a trade earlier in the season, recognizing that he no longer fit in with a much younger club.

The Yankees had a desire for a speedy outfielder with Gardner lost to an elbow injury for most of the season, but Ichiro also seemed to need the Yankees. Surrounded by experienced veterans and a winning atmosphere, Ichiro raised his game and batted .322 with five homers, 27 RBIs and 21 steals in 67 games the rest of the way, helping the Yanks lock up the division.

Ichiro quickly became a fan favorite in the Bronx, and all of those quick-selling T-shirts should have some more shelf life in them. Ichiro reportedly accepted less money to stay in the Bronx, working with the Yankees on a new two-year, $13 million contract.

3. The Captain keeps charging

It's unfortunate that the last on-field image of Jeter in 2012 was of him hobbling off with a wrecked left ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS, needing to lean on both Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue for support just to get to the dugout. Jeter was playing through pain for an extended period, quite literally pushing his ankle until it simply could take no more.

We may never know how much Jeter was actually suffering, because his performance refused to show it. At age 38, Jeter seemed just as good as ever, leading the big leagues with 216 hits and pushing his all-time total to 3,304: continuing to fuel speculation that maybe -- just maybe? -- Pete Rose's all-time hits record of 4,256 could be within reach.

Jeter, as you'd expect, shrugged off those thoughts of individual accomplishments and remained focused on trying to win another World Series to his season's bitter end. There are major challenges of rehab and recovery ahead as Jeter heads to '13, but the Yankees expect their shortstop to be right where he belongs by Opening Day.

2. Another AL East title, but it wasn't easy

For the 13th time since 1996 and the 18th time in franchise history, the Yankees celebrated standing as champions of the AL East. But despite holding a 10-game lead on July 18, it took until the season's final day for the Yanks to officially hold off an Orioles club that refused to fade under manager Buck Showalter's guidance.

The tight AL East race forced the Yankees to play with a must-win mentality for most of September, making every series feel like a playoff series. It was in early September that the Yanks shuttered the doors of the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field, booting reporters out of the room as Rodriguez took center stage and urged his teammates to take "small bites" and play with a tight, October-like mentality.

Few would have anticipated the team's .188 batting average in the playoffs, but during the charge to the postseason, they pointed to their veteran leadership and experience as a major factor in preventing them from wilting under the pressure of the sprint to the finish line.

1. Winter arrives on a chilly Thursday in Detroit

The ending always seems to be the most important part of any Yankees season, and for the third straight year, it wrapped up without a World Series championship. The Yanks went out with a whimper in the ALCS, failing to score in 36 of 39 innings and never holding a lead. With their season on the line in Game 4, they watched Sabathia get knocked out in the fourth inning and managed just two hits before winter arrived.

They did edge Baltimore club in a hard-fought AL Division Series that needed the full five games to be decided, highlighted in part by Raul Ibanez's amazing postseason, as he became the first player in Major League history to slug three home runs in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason.

Ibanez found those opportunities to succeed, of course, because of A-Rod's mighty struggles. Rodriguez finished the postseason 3-for-25 (.120), including 0-for-18 against right-handed pitching. Though the Yankees eventually found a reasonable explanation by learning Rodriguez's left hip was damaged and needed surgery, there was plenty of drama as Girardi was forced to pinch-hit for and bench his highest-paid player in the games that counted the most.

A-Rod may have made the biggest headlines, but Cano fizzled after a red-hot finish to his season, setting a new Major League record for postseason futility with an 0-for-29 streak against Orioles and Tigers pitching. Granderson and Nick Swisher were also among those who contributed little to the Yanks' attack with the season on the line, forcing Girardi to also find spots on the bench for them.

It was absolutely not the ending that the Yankees envisioned, not when they were racking up a grand total of 804 regular-season runs, second in the Majors only to the Rangers' 808. But the last 11 games of the season are the most difficult to win, and so the Yanks have little choice but to regroup and try once again to finish the job in '13.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Ibanez's heroics were key to Yankees' success

NEW YORK -- The audience at Yankee Stadium was thinning for the late innings of a postseason game, an unthinkable scene for anyone who witnessed the dynasty seasons, but perhaps understandable considering the more recent punchless showings by the home lineup.

Those caught in a flood of brake lights on the Major Deegan Expressway hadn't counted on Raul Ibanez's entry into the history books, and as they listened to John Sterling's bellowing radio call, they must have immediately regretted the decision to exit early.

"I don't even really remember what happened," Ibanez said on the evening of Oct. 10, appearing simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated as he recounted his stunning swings. "It was kind of a blur, what happened. I think sometime down the line, I'll kind of remember it and recall it, but I think I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit."

He got two, and to properly tell this story, we need to flash back to earlier on that crisp night in the Bronx, with the Yankees trailing by a run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Orioles.

Alex Rodriguez was due to bat against sinkerballing closer Jim Johnson, but after a terse dugout conversation with manager Joe Girardi, A-Rod planted himself on the bench and switched to a cheerleading role.

Ibanez, a 40-year-old veteran who joked in the spring that he was joining the Yanks only because they'd beaten his Phillies in the 2009 World Series, tightened the straps on his gloves and dug in. After looking at a pitch, he ripped Johnson's second offering over the auxiliary scoreboard in right field, tying the game and setting off a raucous party in the Bronx.

"I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit, not trying to do too much," Ibanez said. "Just trying to put a short swing on the first one, and it worked out. I was able to get a good pitch and hit it hard."

No one seemed to enjoy the blast more than A-Rod, who high-fived his teammates and hugged Ibanez on the dugout steps, silently hiding an injured left hip that would eventually be revealed to need surgery.

"Raul's my guy from Miami. Raul has been phenomenal," Rodriguez said that night. "The consensus was the same; we've never seen anything like that of that magnitude."

After the homer, Rodriguez pointed to Mariano Rivera on the railing. It was later revealed that Rivera had called Ibanez's shot.

"I did. I told Alex," Rivera said. "That's part of the game."

But even Rivera couldn't have predicted the finish. In the 12th inning, Ibanez answered the call and sent the Yankees home happy. Ibanez's blast on the first pitch from lefty Brian Matusz went even further than the first to give the Yanks a thrilling 3-2 victory.

"The second one, same thing, not trying to do too much," Ibanez said. "I think the tendency late in the game when the game is tied is, as players, we try to do a little too much. I was trying to fight that feeling, trying not to do too much, and fortunately it worked out."

Ibanez's flourish for the dramatic wasn't a complete shock: On Sept. 22 against the Athletics, Ibanez homered twice in a 14-inning Yankees win after starting the game on the bench, and on Oct. 2 against the Red Sox, he hit a ninth-inning homer to tie the game before connecting for the game-winning hit in extra frames.

"In baseball, there's no clock: we all know that," Mark Teixeira said. "And if you have a couple outs left, something magical can happen."

Girardi pushed the same button several more times during the postseason, with varying levels of success, and it turned out that Ibanez's big bat did have one more clutch blow to deliver.

Three days after rocking the Stadium's concrete, Ibanez helped fuel a rally that seemed even more improbable on Oct. 13, in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

The Yanks, in a sign of things to come, trailed by four runs heading to the ninth inning against Tigers closer Jose Valverde, but Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-run homer with Russell Martin aboard to halve the deficit.

Teixeira worked an eight-pitch walk from the struggling Valverde, and Ibanez dug for the second pitch he saw, blasting an arcing drive that forced right fielder Avisail Garcia to leap in vain.

"I'm just trying to help the team win any way I can," said Ibanez, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Mariners this week. "Guys had some great at-bats before that. Ichiro obviously hit the homer and Tex's at-bat was unbelievable, and Robbie Cano had a long at-bat and fouled off a bunch of pitches. They deserve a lot of credit for that, too."

Alas for the Yankees, their magic was about to run out. Derek Jeter's left ankle would shatter in pursuit of a ground ball three innings later and their season would be over within the week, a disappointing ending to a postseason run that held so much promise.

But while the Bombers and their fans may look back with regrets at the playoffs of 2012, anyone who was privy to the events of Oct. 10 and Oct. 13 walked out of Yankee Stadium knowing they'd witnessed something very special, thanks to Ibanez's three swings of the bat.

"Being a part of something like this -- this great team, and obviously all the legends that have come before you here -- it is an extraordinary feeling, and it is a great blessing," said Ibanez.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yanks may be in transition but don't count them out

Maybe you've read that this has been a difficult offseason for the Yankees. Maybe you've noticed that some people have already declared them toast in 2013. That's a good, strong opinion. Makes for good reading. Good talk-show material, too. There's just one problem.

The Yankees still might be pretty good. Maybe even a contender. Maybe even a champion. Yes, even with all the departures. Yes, even with all the age.

Look at what they'll be running out there. They'll have CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes at the front of the rotation. They'll have David Robertson and Mariano Rivera at the back of the bullpen. Offensively, they'll have Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter at the top of the order and Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson in the middle.

Is that a lousy team? Again, it's not nearly as deep as it has been in previous seasons. The Yankees probably will have an unproven catcher (Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart or Austin Romine) and a young designated hitter (Eduardo Nunez). They're unlikely to come close to matching last season's franchise-record 245 home runs.

They badly need a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance those three left-handed hitting outfielders. They also need Kevin Youkilis, who was signed to replace Alex Rodriguez while he recovers from hip surgery, to stay healthy.

Youkilis is 33 years old, but if his body holds up -- and it didn't in 2012 -- he'll probably return to something resembling his career norm: 70 walks, 20 home runs, .893 OPS.

There's also a respect factor. During Jeter's 18 seasons, the Yankees have come to define professionalism. Any manager or general manager will tell you that professionalism -- effort, preparation, teamwork, chemistry -- are vital.

It's impossible to walk in the Yankees' clubhouse and see Rivera, Pettitte, Jeter, Teixeira, etc., and think they're not going to be a factor. Despite all that the Yankees have lost, they still have a great general manager in Brian Cashman and a proven manager in Joe Girardi.

The Yankees also have the greatest winning tradition in the history of professional sports in this country. To wear the pinstripes is to believe. Because Pettitte, Kuroda, Ichiro, Rivera and Jeter are all at least 37, there's a point where they're going to break down. But that may not happen in 2013. Remember that Cashman told us this is how the offseason was going to go. The Yankees are committed to being under baseball's $189 million luxury-tax threshold by Opening Day 2014, so this would be an offseason of modest spending.

Cashman has also pointed out again and again that he still felt good about his core players and believed his team had a chance to be as good as ever. His top priority was to keep that core together, and he did that by re-signing Rivera, Pettitte, Kuroda and Ichiro.

Yes, the Yankees are going to be old in some important areas. For instance, the starting rotation. Yes, the Yankees are going to have a smaller margin of error. On the other hand, their run differential was the largest in the American League in 2012, so they have some wiggle room.

Again, it's easy to see the glass as half empty. The Blue Jays have made dramatic improvements. The Red Sox have gotten better, too, and the Rays still have the best starting rotation in the AL East.

The Yankees? They said goodbye to Russell Martin, Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones. Those five players accounted for 94 of New York's 245 home runs, and when a team is built around starting pitching and home runs, well, you get the picture.

Few people took Cashman at his word when he promised that the Yankees were going to make every effort to be under the luxury-tax threshold in 2012. In recent years, he has also talked about how organizations must be willing to give their young guys a chance.

That's why the Yankees could be pushing kids from their Minor League system. Right-handers Adam Warren and Mark Montgomery are being fast-tracked to the big leagues. So is outfielder Zoilo Almonte. And when Cashman traded catcher Jesus Montero for right-hander Michael Pineda last winter, he said catching -- Romine has been highly regarded -- was an organizational strength.

So Cashman is steering the Yankees toward being a franchise driven by player development. He's not going to apologize for a $200 million payroll, but he has poured resources into the Draft and international signings.

The 2013 season could be an important transition year in that regard, but that doesn't mean the Yankees are incapable of winning. Only a fool would count them out 98 days before Opening Day.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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