New York Yankees

Mickey Mantle's last solid season was 1964, although he did fairly well in 1966.

In 1964, Mickey hit .303 with 35 home runs, 111 RBI, and a .423 on base average. The 1966 season was not as good, when Mickey hit .288 with 23 home runs, and that was followed by two sub par seasons, after which Mickey retired.

There is a tendency to excuse or even disregard Mickey's last few seasons, which has resulted in Mickey being ranked higher among baseball's greats today than when he played.

I realize that Derek Jeter won the 2009 Gold Glove award for shortstops a few weeks ago, and this article may seem dated. Honestly, I admit that I've just been a little lazy. But part of it stems from the fact that I didn't want to get into this mess just yet. 

I think I'm ready now, however, and before you comment on this article, please read it. I did put some thought into this, and the least you could do is respond with something intelligent. That having been said...

Shelley Duncan is finally free.

After nine years of indentured servitude in the New York Yankees’ farm system, Duncan is a free agent for the first time.

Unfortunately, Duncan is no longer the long-ball hitting prospect who was drafted in the second-round of the 2001 draft.

He’s now a 30-year-old with just 68 games and 146 at-bats in the big leagues on his resume.

There wasn't a murmur of protest.

In 1934, Lou Gehrig won the American League's Triple Crown, batting .363, hitting a career high 49 home runs, and driving in 165 runs.

Detroit Tigers' playing manager, Mickey Cochrane, was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player.

Brian Cashman won't meet with the Steinbrenner family until next week to discuss what the team's 2010 payroll is going to be, but regardless of what they tell him, he won't make the same splash he did a year ago.

"We spent a lot of money last year," said Cashman, who dumped a combined $429 million on Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte and watched the quartet play a big part in the Yankees winning the World Series . "We're not going to spend as much this year."

Pete Rose has more hits than any other man who ever played professional baseball.

He finished his long career with 4,256 hits, surpassing the immortal Ty Cobb.

Derek Jeter has now played fourteen seasons with the New York Yankees and is generally recognized as one of the best players and best hitters of his era. 

I have long been intrigued thinking of the comparisons of these two men on the field.  (Off the field there is no comparison.)

Three weeks ago, a great deal of the discussion surrounding the Yankees 27th World Championship was about "The Core Four."

Much was made about how Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada had remained together since the minor leagues and that they had been instrumental in five world championships in the Bronx.

Forget about Pettitte leaving for three years to go to Houston. Andy has to be considered a key to the Yankees winning these five titles. He was a big-game pitcher in 1996 and contributed to the titles won in 1998, 1999. and 2000. 

A catcher has won the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player Award. It was not Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, but Minnesota's Joe Mauer. Jorge Posada possibly was not even in consideration for the award. But the Yankees veteran has just won his fifth World Series title. Does Jorge Posada have the numbers to be enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame.