AL East

I stopped by ESPN.com for some reason or another today, only to see a big photo of Mark Teixeira on the its front page. Below was a caption and a link to an article. The headline:

"Reggie Jackson didn't just love New York. He was New York. He still is. Will Mark Teixeira be the one to live up to the legend?"

Pardon me, but can we take this back a step or two?

"Reggie Jackson didn't just love New York. He was New York."

Curt Schilling announced his retirement yesterday, which immediately begs the question of whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

No.

There, now that the suspense is gone, let me explain.

There are really only two arguments for Curt Schilling going to the Hall of Fame. These are, in the order of their importance:

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS (welcome back)
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Xavier Nady RF

The Yankees acquired catcher Chris Stewart from the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later earlier this week, and it has created lots of speculation as to what exactly that means for the team and its minor league affiliates.

At the major league level, the Yankees have Jorge Posada and Jose Molina, but obvious questions remain regarding Posada’s shoulder.

1. Matt Wieters
No he's not going to start the season with the big club, but all indications are that Wieters will be up at some point for the Orioles this season. The wunderkid is the best catching prospect in baseball right now and has a chance to be the face of the Orioles for years to come.

Orioles fans should be excited to see just how good Wieters really is and how he performs in the majors. If Wieters is the real deal, the Orioles could be really competative in a few seasons.

2. The real Adam Jones

There are certain iconic phrases and images whose mere mention will produce galvanized memories among most. 

The line "I'll be back" makes us all think of Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator."  The phrase "Do you believe in miracles?" is forever screamed in Al Michael's excited register and in reference to the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. 

Unless you have lived in a cave since the late 1990s, the image of a bloody sock makes you think of Curt Schilling.

Today, Schilling announced his retirement. 

Dear Roger Clemens:

I've had enough: I'm leaving you behind. It's time to say goodbye. You chose to go the route you did and drag everyone that loved watching you compete down with you.

In the words of Fleetwood Mac, "You can go your own way." 

You were once a paragon of athleticism and hard work. You symbolized what ability, hard work and arrogance could accomplish not only in baseball, but also in life. You were an artist on the mound that mixed perfect mechanics, a blazing fastball, splitter, fear and location into 300-plus wins.

After the Tampa Bay Rays halted the New York Yankees' bid for a ten-game winning streak yesterday, the Phillies handed Chien-Ming Wang his second loss of the spring.