Around the Horn

June 8, 2008

And You Are, Right, Hank?: Do your own jobs, and stop worrying about Joba.

That was Hank Steinbrenner's strongly worded message Friday for Johnny Damon or any other veteran Yankee who wants to see Joba Chamberlain switched back to the bullpen.

"I love Johnny Damon as a player and a person, and he's really doing the job right now. But let's be honest here, he's not Branch Rickey," Steinbrenner told the Daily News in a telephone interview before Friday night's game against the Royals, referring to the legendary baseball executive. "Johnny is a player, and as players, they all need to let the brain trust do the thinking and do the talking."

 
Check Your Text Messages, Doug: Elijah Dukes' first home run with the Washington Nationals was an emotional moment, both for the young outfielder and for his team, which beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-9 in 10 innings.

But did Dukes show a little too much emotion upon hitting Ryan Franklin's 2-2 pitch over the center-field fence Thursday night at Nationals Park?

Plate umpire Doug Eddings apparently thought so and wasn't happy that Dukes turned and thumped his chest after hitting the ball several pitches after showing frustration with a borderline strike call. Dukes also appeared to gesture toward Eddings just before he crossed the plate after rounding the bases.

Nationals manager Manny Acta said word got back to him Eddings wasn't pleased.

"He showed some emotions that he wasn't very happy," Acta said. "And at the end of the game, I learned about some of that stuff. He was thinking about talking to me, and he declined at the end."

Acta had no problem with Dukes' actions.

"We want to see emotions as long as you're not showing anybody up," the manager said. "He showed emotion, and I don't think he offended anybody."

Dukes, through a team spokesman, declined to comment before Friday's game, but he admitted being fired up about the strike call Thursday night.

"When the umpire made the call, I disagreed with it, but it kind of also just helped me get more aggressive," he said. " ... It just kind of gave me a little energy because it was like, 'All right, I've got to do this. I've got to step it up because that's one strike right there.'"

 

Well, At Least the Part of It That I Don't Have MY Paws Into: Having spent the past few days with him at the first-year player draft in Florida, Hank Steinbrenner has informed Brian Cashman he wants him to return next season as GM of the Yankees.

The organization’s co-chairman said the sides are “a ways away” from announcing a contract extension, adding “there’s a good chance” such an agreement will not be done until after the 2008 season.

“I told him we want him back and he wants to come back, but he’ll take some time to talk it over with his family,” Steinbrenner said Friday. “I feel comfortable with leaving the baseball end of it in his hands. But I also told him he has to make up his mind on what he wants to do. Obviously, nobody’s irreplaceable.

“But we want him to stay. I want to make that clear.”

 
The Orioles haven't made an error since May 31, a string covering 58-plus innings.