The YES Network is either going to run or has already run (not sure which) a short feature on Dante Bichette Jr. in an episode of Yankees Magazine, a feature you can watch above. It’s a typical puff piece, talking about things Bichette wants to work on, how his father has helped him, stuff like that. Still pretty interesting though, so take a few minutes and give it a watch.

Once you’re done with that, here’s your open thread for the night. If you’re jonesin’ for some baseball, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com is airing the entire Caribbean Series over the next few days. Mexico and the Dominican Republic are playing right now (Update: They’re actually in a delay because of the pregame ceremony at the moment). Former Yankees Luis Ayala, Karim Garcia, Randy Keisler, Romulo Sanchez, Humberto Sanchez, Freddy Guzman, and Jon Albaladejo are on various rosters, as are current Yankees farmhands Jose Figueroa, Danny Martinez, Ray Kruml, Francisco Rondon, Pat Venditte, Gary Sanchez, Abe Almonte, and Melky Mesa. I can’t guarantee any of those guys will play, however. The Devils and Knicks are also playing, but talk about whatever you like. Go nuts.

(h/t Bryan Hoch for the video)

Every GM has a “the one that got away” story if they’ve been on the job long enough, and Mike Lowell is that guy for Brian Cashman. It was the 1998-1999 offseason and the Yankees had just won 114 games and their second World Championship in three years, but more importantly Scott Brosius just wrapped up a .300/.371/.472 inaugural campaign in pinstripes. He signed a fat new three-year contract after the season, rendering Lowell useless. Thirteen years ago today, Cashman traded the 24-year-old third baseman to the Marlins for a trio of pitching prospects: Todd Noel, Mark Johnson, and Ed Yarnall.

Noel was the 17th overall pick in the 1996 draft and had been traded to the Marlins for Felix Heredia (hah!) at the 1998 trade deadline. He started the 1999 season with High-A Tampa, then blew out his arm and was never heard from again. Johnson was the 19th overall pick in the 1996 draft, and had been traded to Florida before the 1998 season as part of the package for Moises Alou. He opened the 1999 season in Double-A, got hurt, then got drafted by the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft after the season. He threw 24 ineffective innings for Detroit in 2000, got released after the season, then bounced around the minors until 2005.

Yarnall was the real prize in the trade, or at least he was supposed to be. The Mets drafted him in the third round of the 1996 draft, then traded him to the Marlins in May of 1998 as part of the package for Mike Piazza. Baseball America had rated him the 60th best prospect in the game before the season. Yarnall spent most of the 1999 season in Triple-A, though he did get called in July and then again in September. Baseball America again ranked him as one of the 100 best prospects in the game before the 2000 season (55th overall). He opened that year in Triple-A, went up-and-down a few times, then was traded to the Reds as part of the package for Denny Beagle in July. Yarnall pitched in Japan in 2001 and 2002, then spent a few years bouncing around in Triple-A before calling it quits after 2007. All 20 of his big league innings came in pinstripes.

As you know, Lowell went on to have a long and very productive career, helping the Marlins beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series and then winning another ring with the 2007 Red Sox. All told, he hit .279/.342/.464 with 223 homers in his 13 big league seasons, with all but eight of his 1,601 career games being played in something other than a Yankees uniform (he went 4-for-15 during a September call-up in 1998). Cashman routinely calls it his worst trade, and it’s hard to disagree considering how much value Lowell produced and how little they got back from Yarnall, Johnson, and Noel.

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Here’s your open thread for the night. The Rangers and Nets are both playing, but talk about whatever you like. Enjoy.

In the comments of last night’s open thread, a few people got to talking about Game Four of the 2000 ALCS, Roger Clemens’ shining moment in pinstripes. The Yankees were up two games to one in the series (for some reason I always think they were down two games to one), and … well … you know what happened next. If you don’t, watch the video. Andy Pettitte‘s masterpiece in Game Five of the 1996 World Series is still the gold standard for me as far as great playoff performances, but Rocket’s performance against the Mariners is right up there.

Anyway, here is tonight’s open thread. All five hockey and basketball locals are in action, so there’s plenty of ways to occupy yourself tonight. Talk about whatever you like, anything goes.

It was another tough day of computer problems here, but I think I got it all sorted out. Thankfully I didn’t have any hardware problems, but apparently part of my operating system was corrupt. No idea how that happened, but I sincerely hope it never happens again.

Anyway, the video above is from this past Saturday, and features a 49-year-old Roger Clemens throwing a perfect inning in the Texas alumni game. He struck out two and got a fly ball, and that split sure does look pretty nasty. Clemens goes on to talk about the Hall of Fame and how much it would mean to be inducted, but I didn’t really bother to listen. You’re more than welcome to, however. Once you’ve done that, use this as your open thread. None of the hockey or basketball locals are in action tonight, so you’re on your own for entertainment.

"You pay attention to someone else, I'm gonna take a nap." (AP/Kathy Willens)

You know what happens in exactly three weeks? Spring Training officially opens. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on February 19th, which just means they just have to physically be in the Tampa area and let the club know they’re there. They don’t even have to show up to the complex, that will happen for the first time the next day. Either way, we’re down to just three weeks of offseason. Hooray for that.

Here’s your open thread for the night. You folks know what to do by now, so have at it.

Had a pretty crummy day dealing with some computer issues, so I need something to cheer me up. For whatever reason, remembering that A.J. Burnett was good once upon a time always seems to do the trick. Where do you think that curveball went?

Anyway, here is your open thread for the night. The Knicks are playing, plus the NHL Skills Competition is on at 7pm ET (on NBC Sports). That’s kinda like there Homerun Derby, but with more events and not as boring. Talk about whatever you like here. Enjoy.

With all due respect to the people who put this photo gallery/slideshow together, there is absolutely no chance that David Robertson‘s bases loaded, no outs escape act in the 11th inning of Game Two of the 2009 ALDS is the FOURTH most clutch moment in team history. No chance. None. Nada. I’m not even sure that would make the top forty clutch moments in team history, and hell, that wasn’t even the most clutch moment of the game. That would be Alex Rodriguez‘s game-tying, two-run homer off Joe Nathan in bottom of the ninth.

Sorry, I just caught that thing being passed around Twitter this afternoon and it blew my mind. We all love Robertson, but that’s nuts. Here is your open thread for the night. The Knicks and Nets are both playing tonight, but talk about whatever you like here. Enjoy.

The Yankees do have an abundance of starting pitching at the moment, but the situation was much different a year ago. They were scrambling for pitchers after Cliff Lee went back to the youthful Phillies, and in what amounts to an act of desperation, they signed Bartolo Colon one year ago today.

Colon hadn’t had any kind of sustained success in the bigs since winning the Cy Young Award in 2005, but he was pitching well in the winter ball and the Yankees rolled the dice. It was a minor league deal, so they had nothing to lose. Bench coach Tony Pena was managing Bart in winter ball, so they had a bit more info than everyone else. Colon came to Spring Training and was throwing mid-90′s gas to everyone’s surprised, and before long he was in the rotation and serving as the team’s number two starter. It didn’t last all season, but watching this big fat guy slime out to the mound and throw 96 on the black with his two-seamer running all over the place was pretty awesome for the first few months.

Bartolo revived his career with the Yankees in 2011, and parlayed that success into a guaranteed $2M deal with the Oakland A’s this offseason. He won’t get much run support, but Colon should but up a shiny ERA in that ballpark and division. I hope he does well, he’s already made a fortune in his career and it was pretty obvious last season that he came back because of his love for the game. Hard not to appreciate that.

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Here is your open thread for the night. There’s no hockey because of the All-Star break and neither the Knicks or Nets are playing, so you’re on your own for entertainment. You folks know how this works by now, so have at it.

I’ve been on a Jorge Posada kick lately because of his retirement, which is why I’m posting this MLB Network video looking back at his career. This Clubhouse Confidential clip about his Hall of Fame chances is worth the watch as well. I was expecting, and really hoping Posada would retire this winter because we knew the Yankees weren’t going to bring him back and I honestly didn’t want to see him wear another team’s uniform, but it’ll still take some getting used to when he’s not around next year. Kinda sucks.

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Here is tonight’s open thread. Both the Knicks and Nets are playing, but all the hockey locals will be off until next week for the All-Star break. Talk about anything you like here (but politics, that gets messy), go nuts.