Robinson Cano

Of the Yankees’ remaining 74 games of the 2010 regular-season schedule, 13 are against the Tampa Bay Rays. That’s nearly 18% of all remaining games for the Yankees against the rival best team in baseball. The first of those showdowns between the two powerhouses begins today.

For a snapshot of where we are today, July 16, the AL East Standings look like this:

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held tonight in Los Angeles. That means the 162-game season has reached its half.  Let’s review the AL East team performances so far this year.

New York Yankees (56-32)

When Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano received an invitation to participate in this years Home Run Derby, the All-Star was surprised and excited.

He did not think twice about it. Cano accepted the invitation and had every intention of participating. Then the Yankees stepped in. The problem however is that it seems the Yankees stepped in without Cano knowing.

Most people make way too big a deal about the drop-off players experience after participating in the Home Run Derby. It’s more likely statistical regression than anything else.

Nevertheless, Yankee coaches did not want Robinson Cano participating in this year’s Home Run Derby, and it looks like they are getting their way.

Six participants for the 2010 Home Run Derby were announced yesterday: David Ortiz (DH, Boston), Corey Hart (OF, Milwaukee), Matt Holliday (OF, St. Louis), Miguel Cabrera (1B, Detroit), Robinson Cano (2B, New York Yankees), and Vernon Wells (OF, Toronto).

All told, it's not a terrible lineup.  There will be two more participants announced before the Derby, but you've already got old-school power hitters in Cabrera and Ortiz and some new blood in Cano and Hart.

Let's talk about the Home Run Derby.

Everyone seems to think that it really messes a player up, but I’m not so sure about that.

I know a lot of people do not like math, but there is a thing called statistical regression. It simply means that really hot players will eventually cool off.

The nature of the Home Run Derby is directly connected to statistical regression as the MLB tends to ask the hottest players in the league to participate.

The Yankees closed out the Interleague slate with their best victory of the year, mounting a dramatic four-run comeback in the ninth against the Dodgers on Sunday, before winning the game on MVP candidate Robinson Cano's two-run homer in the 10th.

New York took two out of three from Los Angeles to finish 11-7 versus the National League. The first-place Bombers (47-28) now welcome in the last-place Mariners (31-44) for a three-game set this week at Yankee Stadium.

It wasn't a classic to begin the evening, with lots of walks and terrible clutch hitting, but last night's New York Yankees-Arizona Diamondbacks matchup ended up being a really good baseball game.

It had everything in the latter innings: great defensive plays, big hits (although not enough), and some stellar clutch pitching by the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history, Mariano Rivera.

It is always fun to speculate who will make the once-again expanded All-Star Game roster. Since each team has to have at least one All-Star, here are the 30 who are deserving.

This list includes many young stars of the game who should be showcased to the whole nation, as well as some veterans that you might not expect to see at an All-Star Game.

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Who else would be allowed into Yankee Stadium or Citi Field in that outfit?

That's a rhetorical question, so no need to answer it.

Who else could manage to sneak past security and talk to players inside the clubhouse after a loss?

Maybe only a handful of celebrities come to mind.

Who else could make New Yorkers suddenly consider the middle finger to be an obscene gesture after years of it?

Only a pop singer that talks about monsters.