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-- See Pinstripe Alley for complete discussion and analysis
The New York Yankees open their 2011 regular season Thursday at Yankee Stadium, weather permitting. There is a 70 percent chance of rain most of the day in New York City, which threatens to wash out the Opening Day game between the Yankees and Detroit Tigers (1:05 p.m., YES).
Even if CC Sabathia gets to toe the rubber and open the season for the Yankees on Thursday, this will hardly be a normal opening month of the season for the Bronx Bombers. There is an open day on the schedule Friday, a traditional open slot in the event the first game of the season is rained -- or snowed -- out. Look at the Yankee schedule for the month of April, though, and you notice something odd. After Friday, there are only two off days on the Yankees' April calendar.
The Yankees play 27 games in April beginning April 2, and have just those two schedule off days (April 11 and April 21). Normally, the April baseball calendar has several built-in off days due to weather considerations in the East and the fact that home openers are followed by days off to ensure home openers get proper pomp and circumstance.
This really doesn't amount to much in the overall scheme. It may, though, have affected Manager Joe Girardi's 25-man roster. In a normal April Girardi might have been able to carry an extra outfielder in the event Curtis Granderson is still affected by his oblique injury, rather than adding Luis Ayala to the pitching staff as a 12th arm.
Alex Rodriguez: 'I’m As Healthy As I've Been In Three Or Four Years'
The seven home runs Alex Rodriguez hit in 49 Spring Training at-bats were a good sign for New York Yankees fans. So was his .388 batting average. So, it seems, is his frame of mind.
Rodriguez, 36, is entering his 18th major-league season. He is now two full years removed the hip surgery he underwent early in 2009. Observers who have watched him during Spring Training think he could be headed for a monster season. Rodriguez said he was able to train fully this off-season rather than rehab his hip.
A-Rod also discussed a wide range of other Yankee topics. Sports Radio Interviews has the full transcript.
Mar 30 2:35p by Ed Valentine