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On July 13, MLB’s best players will take a break from their normal schedules to square off at Angel Stadium in the 81st Midsummer Classic.

Fans have been voting for their favorite position players for quite some time: Albert Pujols is the obvious pick for NL first baseman, and Joe Mauer is the overwhelming favorite for AL catcher.

Baseball worshipers hope to see their teams’ leaders hit the long ball every time they enter the batter’s box.

But who will pitch to these super sluggers?

That part of the whole shebang is up to All-Star managers Charlie Manuel and Joe Girardi.

So who will they choose? Will they pick deserving veterans or intriguing young guns?

Odds are they’ll choose both.

Here is a list of whom we should actually expect to see on the mound.

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The past 15 years have seen the Yankees add five World Series titles to their trophy case, and none of them would have been possible without the contributions of four special players.

Those players are Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, all of whom will go down in Yankee history and one day possibly have their numbers retired.

They have all had outstanding careers in pinstripes, with each of them playing their entire careers in the Bronx, except for Pettitte, who took a three year vacation to his home state,  playing for the Astros.

Once again the Core Four are all having an excellent season for the Bombers, helping them to the best current record in baseball.

But their great numbers can not cover up their age, and with age comes injuries, such is the case with the Core Four, or Sore Four.

The veteran catcher Jorge Posada fractured his foot and had a stint on the 15 day DL, Andy Pettitte missed a start, and Mariano Rivera couldn’t pitch for a week or so with a side strain. Derek Jeter has avoided missing time, but has been hit on the hands a couple of times. Jeter may owe this to the fact that he is the youngest of the old guard.

Such injuries and their given ages, brings up the question, who will be the first to hang it up?

Derek Jeter will turn 36 this month, and has had a sub par year so far. He’s batting .290, which is a big drop form his career average of .316. But, he has also driven in 39 runs, while scoring 42 himself.

Being the youngest, and so far the most durable of the quartet, I don’t believe that he will be the first of them to go. In fact, he’s more likely to be the last.

Andy Pettitte turned 38 on Tuesday and might be on his way to a career year and a possible Cy Young award.

The big lefty is 8-1 with a 2.46 ERA this season, and his last win also was his 200th with the Yankees.

Despite having such a great year, Andy is really only interested in winning a sixth ring. That’s what brought him back here in 2010, and I think he will be back again in 2011.

In August, Jorge Posada will join Pettitte at age 38. We will have to see what his stats are then, but right now they’re pretty good.

Granted that he missed time with the injury and has less plate appearances than others, he is still batting .291 this season, not too bad for a .278 career hitter in his late 30’s. He has also been a threat in the middle of the order, belting eight home runs and driving in 23 runs, which included two grand slams this past weekend.

Jorge is under contract for next year, and I think he might be back after that if he continues to improve as he gets older. Unfortunately, he won’t be the starting catcher down the road.

That leaves the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, who is 40 years old and without a contract for next season.

Mo has been lights out once again for the Yankees, posting 15 saves and a 1.21 ERA thus far. But as mentioned before, he has been unable to pitch at times this season.

In my opinion, Mo is the most unpredictable of the Core Four. You never hear anything about his future plans or him giving any hint as to when he might retire. But I think this will be Mo’s last season. After all he is the oldest of the lot and has nothing more to prove.

Life after Rivera may be a lot closer than Yankee fans want believe.

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As soon as Chad Gaudin came marching out of the pen for the 14th inning today I knew the game was over, and I’m sure many of you felt the same way.

Sure enough, Gaudin walked the first batter he faced on four pitches and two batters later the game was over, with Mariano waiting for a save situation that never came.

I was on Twitter at the end of the game and many people, including beat writers, bloggers and fans, began the debate well before Gaudin threw his first pitch:

Should Girardi have called on Mariano Rivera, the greatest relief pitcher of all time, instead of the struggling Gaudin?

Conventional baseball wisdom tells you that you never use your closer in extra innings on the road unless it’s a save situation, and managers generally stick to that rule. It makes sense most of the time, but in situations like today when you’re down to two guys in the pen, one is the greatest ever and the other is Chad Gaudin, I think you’ve got to go with Mo and hope to at least extend the game.

There are valid arguments on the other side.

Since Mo couldn’t go two innings, what happens if the Yankees score a run in the 15th? Who closes?

What if they don’t score in the 15th?

Neither of these situations are ideal, and Gaudin is just as likely to mess up and blow the game, but at least you gave yourself three more outs and a chance to put something on the board.

Remember, the Jays were running low on relievers too, so the Yankees could have gone up in the 15th and put 3 or 4 on the board, making Gaudin’s 15th much easier to deal with.

There are a lot of factors involved, and I’m not sure there is a right answer here, but what do you think: Did Girardi make the right move today?

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Tonight the New York Yankees resume play against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field at 7 p.m. after a fifth inning rain out last night.

The Yankees are 4-6 in their last 10 games and look to dump the slump as they send Andy Pettitte to the mound. 10days ago Pettitte threw six innings of two-hit baseball against the Twins.

Additionally, many of the Yankees’ big sluggers have been in a slump lately and they will be looking to rebound.

The last time the Yankees batters faced off against the Twins they battered them for 12 hits and seven runs. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira each went 2-for-4 with one run.

However, this was before both power hitters entered into their current slump, with Teixeira’s batting average going down to .200 and A-Rod’s sitting at .299. Although A-Rod has been improving his average lately, he went 0-4 against the Mets on Sunday, striking out to end the game.

The Yankees need to focus on what they have at hand and not look forward to Granderson’s return on Friday.  

Also looking to get back on track tonight is Mariano Rivera, who hasn’t fared too well in his last few outings. Most notably, he struggled against the Twins when he pitched a third of an inning giving up a home run and two earned runs.  

This is the first time the Yankees have played a game at the newly built Target field.  Game time temperatures are expected to be 75 degrees, with a fair wind blowing out of the park.

Email: Pm9990@Ship.edu

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The look on Mark Teixeira’s face tells it all.

The Yankees are mired in a slump to beat all slumps. Not only has the lights-out pitching from early in the year disappeared, but the offense is sputtering right now as well.

Which is not a good combination.

I’d say the slump started with the Detroit series, which was won by the Tigers three games to one. Then it looked like the Yankees dominance over the Twins would never end, that is until Jason Kubel proved that Mo was in fact human by hitting a grand slam—the first ever slam given up by Mo at Yankee Stadium.

The split with Boston, then came the Rays, who absolutely crushed the Yanks in their abbreviated sweep.

The emergence of Teixeira’s offense has taken a step back toward April. After a hitless and 3 K game tonight against the Mets, he is now hitting .204. Even a bigger surprise is Derek Jeter, who no one has really talked about, but he is just hitting .264 this season after going 0-4 at the plate tonight.

Even Brett Gardner’s hot start is fading away. Also hitless tonight, his average has dropped to .304. A-Rod and Cano seem to be the only reliable guys at the plate right now. And you can’t win ball games with just two hitters.

Throw in Johnson’s surgery and Posada’s injury, which will keep him out for at least a month, and the Yankees are in trouble right now.

But don’t despair, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The Yankees will conclude a stretch of 17 games in as many days against the Mets on Sunday night, where CC will look to give the Yankees the series win.

After a much needed day off on Monday, the Yankees open a four game slate with the Twins, who the Yanks, traditionally, dominate. But there are no guarantees, as we learned from the Kubel blast.

After the series in Minnesota, the Yankees schedule looks easy, at least on paper. They play four against the Indians, three with the Orioles, three in Toronto, another three against Baltimore, and three with the Astros in the Bronx—certainly a few teams the Yankees can get healthy against.

Speaking of healthy, Curtis Granderson is set to begin his rehab assignment in Scranton and could be ready by the end of this week. And Alfredo Aceves will begin to throw in Tampa on Monday, but still has no time specified for his return.

So the Yanks will be getting an opportunity to gain some ground on Tampa soon, the question is will they take advantage of it?

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Baseball is a sport unlike others when it comes to age. If you’re 40 and a basketball player, you’re done unless you have extreme ability or are just playing a few minutes a game. If you’re 40 and a football player, you’re either retired, a kicker/punter, or Brett Favre.

Regularly though, ballplayers will play well into their 40s, and play well at that. Julio Franco hung around forever, as did Nolan Ryan.

There are currently ten ballplayers over 40 who have been active this season. How many will continue their trend and play until 42, 45, even a bit further?

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So, does anyone right now trust the Yankees’ bullpen?

If you’re like me, you are shaking your head saying no. And right now, you have every reason to.

Now, I know the Yankees are 25-13 and just three games behind the Rays for first place in the American League East, and most fans of other teams will tell the Yankees to stop complaining because they could be worse.

Yes, the Yankees could be the Pirates and be completely doomed. But, they’re not.

The Yankees are at 25-13 and probably could have an even better record if it weren’t for the disasters and early failures of the bullpen.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the culprits so far.

The biggest one may be David Robertson. I’ve written about how Robertson might need to go back down to the minors, but so far, he’s still a Major Leaguer.

Robertson is 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA. His ERA was well over 10 last week, but by pitching two scoreless innings against the Twins, he got it down. Last year, Robertson was one of the Yankees best relievers, but that seems so far ago. If he continues to get pounded, they may have no choice but to send him back down.

Chan Ho Park has been another one that has pitched lousy with the Yankees.

He pitched well last season for the Phillies, but we’re also talking about the National League here.

In the games with the Yankees so far, he’s 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA. His ERA is due to getting destroyed by the Red Sox twice. He’s also spent a good month on the disabled list, and after Monday night’s performance against Boston, fans are hoping he’ll go back on really soon.

Park was never great in the American League to begin with. When he got signed to be the Rangers’ starting pitcher several years ago, he was an absolute bust. He was so much a bust that he was transformed from a starter into a reliever.

Park belongs in the National League, but for right now, the Yankees are stuck with him.

Now, the next one has been one of the most talked about topics from the winter. From reliever to starter and back to reliever, Joba Chamberlain has had his ups and downs.

But lately, Joba sucks.

Before Saturday, Joba was at a 2.16 ERA with a 1-1 record.

On Sunday, Joba couldn’t get the outs needed in the eighth inning and helped start the Twins’ rally, while watching his ERA go up to a 3.63 and a 1-2 record in the process.

On Tuesday night, with the Yankees up 5-1, Joba came into the game and gave up the lead and allowed the Red Sox to go from looking dead to alive and back in the game at 5-5. Joba’s ERA is now at a 4.91 after his last two outings.

From a 2.16 and pitching well to 4.91 and looking like he can’t get anyone out is where Joba has gone to. He’s supposed to be the setup man to get the games to the best closer in baseball, but right now, he couldn’t get little leaguers out.

Joba needs to get his stuff together because he could lose that setup job really quick if he continues giving away leads and games.

Speaking of the best closer in all of baseball, Mariano Rivera hasn’t been too sharp the last few days.

On Sunday, after Joba allowed a couple of runners, Rivera gave up his first ever grand slam to Jason Kubel and allowed the Twins to win 6-3. It was the first blown save for Rivera in 2010.

On Tuesday, Rivera looked like he would cut through the Red Sox order in the ninth, but Marcus Thames dropping a routine pop up and Jeremy Hermida’s RBI hit made it a 7-5 lead. The Yankees got it to 7-6, but fell just short of a comeback.

Now, because Rivera is the best closer ever and lately has been suffering from a hurting side and hasn’t been pitching much, he kind of gets a free pass because we know Mo will bounce right back.

But Robertson, Park, and Chamberlain do not get a free pass, so they take a ton of the blame.

Now, a big part of the relievers struggling is that Alfredo Aceves, one of the better relievers for the Yankees, is on the disabled list. Aceves can go multiple innings and takes a lot of strain off the Yankee bullpen, and his presence right now is missed. Aceves needs to get back to the bullpen ASAP.

Now, Joe Girardi could give opportunities more to Mark Melancon and Boone Logan with Damaso Marte as the lefty specalist.

The Yankees could also go outside the team to find relief options, and two of them who were former Yankees just recently became available again.

First is Chad Gaudin, who started out in Spring Training with the Yankees, was released and picked up by the Oakland A’s, who just released him a couple of days ago since they barely used him.

Gaudin pitched very well for the Yankees in both starting and relieving roles, and if the Yankees need another arm, they know Gaudin can be reliable.

The other is Brian Bruney, who was pitching for the Nationals this year but just got released due to struggles.

Now, Bruney was also inconsistent with the Yankees at times, but he’s also had some success being in the Yankees’ bullpen and could give the Yankees another hard-throwing reliever who could be looking for a second chance.

The Yankees need to do something quick, because what happened Tuesday night with the bullpen blowing CC Sabathia’s gritty performance against Boston cannot keep happening.

The Yankees’ rotation of Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Javier Vazquez are all a combined 20-5, which is outstanding. That leaves the rest of the bullpen at 3-8, which isn’t so great.

Whether the Yankees need to bring back some older arms, bring up new people from the minors, or go out and make a few trades, the Yankees need to fix up that bullpen and fix it fast.

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Let me start by saying that I am one of the biggest Derek Jeter fans ever. I grew up watching my favorite player become a legend for the most storied franchise in American sports. Seeing Derek Jeter play is something that I will tell my children.

However, this season has not been going as well as we have come to expect from “El Capitan”.

At the one-quarter mark of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, the New York Yankees are 25-14. That is good for second place in the American League East, 3.0 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.

It is hard to criticize a team with a .641 winning percentage, but there are a few players that have not exactly “sparkled” for the Bronx Bombers. For the first time in many years, Derek Jeter falls into that category.

There are many things that are given or granted, before someone can even begin to criticize the Captain of the New York Yankees this season.

Last season, Derek Jeter won the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron awards. He also passed Lou Gehrig as the all-time hits leader in New York Yankees history. In the field, he collected his fourth Gold Glove award at short stop. All of this was capped off by the Yankees capturing the 2009 World Series in six games over the Phillies.

Off the field, Jeter was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award along with being named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. DJ’s 2009 season was one of the best all around seasons that any professional athlete could ever hope for.

The statistics and awards from his career are already enough to ensure that Derek Jeter will be enshrined into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame after he retires. However, none of that matters right now. The main question for the early part of 2010 is, where is that Derek Jeter?

While other players, like Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli continue to produce for the New York Yankees, there are some players that have not been on their game. Everyone knows the story of Mark Teixeira’s slow starts and Alex Rodriguez’s numbers, but what is going on with Jeter?

In 168 at bats this season; Jeter has collected 45 hits, while scoring 26 runs and driving in another 23. He has been walked nine times, already struck out 23 times, and only stolen four bases out of five attempts. As of today, Derek has a batting average of .268 and an on-base percentage of .315.

For anyone else, these would be very good numbers at the 1/4 mark of the season. For Captain Clutch, the 2010 season has not gone according to plan yet. Mired in a horrible slump, Jeter fans have put an APB or BOLO out for him.

There have been numerous times when “Derek Jeter” would have gotten a clutch base hit, driven in the runners with two outs, or at least kept the inning going. Those times, seem to be few and far between in 2010.

The main point, as Mariano Rivera has also looked uncharacteristically human these past few games, is that Derek Jeter is at the end of his contract.

At the beginning of the season, everyone continued to ask questions about when the Yankees would re-sign the superstar short stop. Jeter said that he was okay with waiting until November to think about it, but should he have pushed for a new contract this past off season?

After having such a stellar 2009 season, DJ was guaranteed to get another blockbuster, multi-year deal. He was ready to be signed to be the Yankees captain for another five plus years. He was going to make another $100 million dollars and nobody was going to have a problem with that.

Will the Yankees give him a huge contract based on his legacy? Can they really afford to pay that much money to a guy hitting just above .250? Are they going to lock-up a player who has seemed to have lost a step on some plays in the field? 

What happens if he continues to have a, by his standards, lackluster season? Derek Jeter has always been about winning first, but this may be a time for him to be a little bit selfish.

Will average numbers in the 2010 season make the Yankees twice before they re-sign their beloved captain and short stop?

No way…! Right?

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When someone asks who is one of baseball’s best closers, Mariano Rivera is among the first names on that list, and rightfully so. His career ERA is in the top 15 all time, and his ERA-plus is easily the greatest all time, not to mention his save numbers, and World Series rings as a member of the New York Yankees.

So what’s left for this dominant relief pitcher to accomplish at 40? How about holding a 0.00 ERA as long as he did.

After Minnesota Twins slugger Jason Kubel’s grand slam on Sunday off Rivera tabbed him with the loss, he was the second-to-last reliever  to lose his perfect ERA to start the season, losing only to Baltimore’s Will Ohman.

This is the third time Rivera has kept a perfect ERA until mid-May. In 1998, he lost it on May 14 against the Texas Rangers, his 11th game, and in 2008, he lost it on May 13, his 15th game, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Then today, in his 13th relief appearance, he given up his first earned runs of the season.

That being said, he had never gotten as far as May 16 with a perfect year intact, and this just shows how phenomenal a pitcher that he is. Pitchers occasionally make it this far on a fluke once, but they don’t three times unless they are just that good.

As there is no need to make this a long speech about how good he is, since most folks already know that, so let’s just look at a few facts— both interesting and somewhat random— from Rivera’s performance this season in comparison to his previous ones.

First, in 1998 and 2008, the two teams he lost his perfect ERA to won their division. It looks like it will be 3-for-3 with Minnesota taking the Central.

Second, even after that, his current ERA of 1.59 is the best of his career. This asks the question, how far could he go? Could he play until he’s 45? He’s clearly as dominant as he’s always been, so that’s a possibility.

Third, his WHIP of 0.617 is the best of his career. Not only that, but WHIPs like that just don’t exist in baseball statistics. That’s how good it is. All-time leader Addie Joss’s best was .806, and Ed Walsh, second all-time, and just ahead of Rivera in WHIP, had his best at .820. Rivera, meanwhile, has a previous best of .665.

What I’m trying to explain is simple. Even with his illustrious career, Rivera is still on pace for a personal best season, as well as an all-time great relief season.

There’s really nothing to compare his performances to, given that amazing pitching seasons are still inherently kept in the camp of starting pitchers.

If Andy Pettite or Phil Hughes were to slump away, could this be the year that Rivera wins a Cy Young? He’s certainly deserving of one, and that really is the one crown jewel missing from his career.

Rambling aside, I leave the questions to you: If he keeps this up, should he get the Cy Young Award this season? How about his Hall Of Fame credentials, has he shown enough to get in on the first ballot

Or will the bias against relievers keep him away for a couple years?

Sure, it’s May 2010, but with Mariano Rivera, we know he’s going to be great (we can write 2007 off as an off year by now), so it’s not too early to think of this.

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A review of each season’s Most Valuable Player voting typically reveals the best players in the game at that particular time. Although each player’s team’s regular season success is a factor, the vote tally usually has a strong correlation to statistical leader boards.

Those players have almost always earned this recognition through quantifiable performance from RBI, HRs and batting average to wins and saves. Individual team MVP selections often mirror the same approach.

However, determining which players are most indispensable can often entail a much more complex equation. In fact, it usually involves a subjective consideration of many different variables such as the team’s makeup, style, flexibility, and depth—along with the player’s individual performance, position, and role.

Simply put, it’s a matter of assessing which players have the greatest impact on and would be missed the most by their team?

All the players that follow surely have impressive measurable results, but their value to their team includes much more. Here are Major League Baseball’s 10 most indispensable players:

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