Timothy Bradley Is Content Now With Top Rank

By Rich Mancuso

Timothy Bradley Jr. believes he is in the right company now with a promotional deal with Top Rank. The junior welterweight who has been in the ring twice in the last two years, and had three championships signed a deal with Bob Arum this past week. The contractual and legal issues with promoters Gary Shaw and Ken Thomson may not be over, but he has passed a hurdle.

“You walk outside and people ask, and don’t know me,” commented Bradley a few days ago after his new deal became official. He was immediately signed to fight former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor, a co-feature of the third bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez from Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View November 12th.

Bradley (27-0, 11 KO’s) is looking for exposure. He believes that Shaw and Thompson were holding him back from being an elite fighter. The specifics as to what went wrong with his contract are not clear, though Shaw has claimed it is a breach of contract and that Bradley had become difficult to deal with. There is always speculation that Arum and Top Rank may have been getting to Bradley, but that is difficult to comprehend with Arum having premier fighters, one being Pacquiao.

Either way this becomes a good deal for Bradley, who got a 10th round technical decision over Devon Alexander back in January that unified the 140-pound titles. Since then the litigation has been an obstacle, as was the World Boxing Council that stripped him of the title because he refused to defend against Amir Khan. It would have been a career pay day for Bradley had he opposed Khan. He wanted that fight, but specifics of a contract, not disclosed, caused Bradley to walk away.

All Bradley wants is respect and recognition. The deal with Top Rank can enhance his opportunity towards regaining respect with boxing fans. They said Bradley was avoiding Khan, that the win over Alexander was not a great effort. “I want to be busy,” he said. “I will fight at 147 or 140, wherever they want me to. Casamayor is tough and a good challenge and I am excited to be back in the ring.”

But the issue here is not just Timothy Bradley. Every fighter around his weight class wants a shot at Manny Pacquiao. The fight, and maybe a win over Khan could have put him a step closer to a bout with Pacquiao or some of the other world class fighters in the Top Rank stable at 147. Bradley says he did not look at Top Rank as a way of getting closer to an eventual fight with Pacquiao. It was just the right deal and proper route to go, though it does makes it easier for him to get closer for Arum to make that fight pending on what Pacquiao plans to do in the next year.

“I wanted to be with a real promoter,” Bradley said in his defense of getting away from Shaw and Thompson. He has one less promotional fee to pay, the WBC, when they stripped him. “I thought it was funny the way they stripped me, the only way they could get the championship away from me. They know how to promote,” he added about Top Rank.

In defense of Shaw, he attempted to get Bradley the exposure and the fight with Khan was delivered. However, along the way, there were issues. Arum said any lawsuits about the contract will be addressed, in the meantime he is happy to have Bradley under the Top Rank banner. It begins with the upcoming fight with Casamayor, a veteran who will be the underdog.

But will a win for Bradley get him a step closer to fighting Pacquiao? “If I beat Amir Khan it wouldn’t have done anything for me career,” he says. “I did not sign this deal to get Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather. I did this to get exposure and I did not get that when I beat Alexander. Boxing is my life and I was not getting what I deserved where I was.”

Arum, through a spokesperson at Top Rank said, “Bradley will have his name on a list for Pacquiao.” In other words, if Pacquiao defeats Marquez, as expected, and if the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight does not come off, then Bradley could be considered for Pacquiao. There reportedly is no guarantee in the contract that Bradley has a deal to fight Pacquiao. And there are no specifics about any financial clauses that Bradley may have received when he signed his new deal.

“There was never a plan for me,” says Bradley about his former promoters. “Now I have one. The offer to fight Khan was good but there was no plan to promote me. If I get Manny Pacquiao, that will be great. I can give him a good fight. But this was all about me and it was not giving me what I deserved.”

He still holds the WBO junior middleweight title and that will be on the line against Casamayor. Timothy Bradley got his deal, now it is in his hands.

Email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Nothing New From Hopkins with Expectation To Continue Legacy Against Dawson

By Rich Mancuso

You come to expect the same thing from Bernard Hopkins. There is never a lack of confidence coming from the future Hall of Fame light heavyweight champion who defends his WBC title against Chad Dawson on HBO Pay-Per-View at the Staples Center in Los Angeles a week from Saturday. He says the same thing and does not present the image of a fighter that wants to hang up the gloves anytime soon.

“I want my gray to be in the ring,” said the 46-year old champion who achieved boxing history back in May when he defeated Jean Pascal. And you get the feeling that Hopkins is enjoying the fame in what may not be the end of a legacy, unless the underdog and younger Dawson pulls the upset. “I want Chad Dawson to see I have gray here,” he said the other day before the media at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym, a ritual he conducts prior to championship fights in his hometown of Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

There is really nothing more for Hopkins to accomplish. A win over Dawson, and maybe we are talking about a third bout with Pascal. That is a fight that generates interest and has some value. Pascal wants another fight and surely HBO would buy it and it could be a pay-per-view attraction. Or Antonio Tarver, the Showtime commentator may want to try and spoil the legacy. The heavyweight division could be another route for Hopkins, though that discussion always seems to be avoided when he is asked.

For now the emphasis is on Dawson, younger and deserving of getting a shot at the Hopkins legacy. “That age difference is appropriate for me to look like I’m gray and I have gray because realistically, if you do the math he could be my son,” says Hopkins about the 29-year old Dawson.

He says, “When you look at my resume compared with his resume, you must say or must agree that my resume is a Ferrari and his is a Mercedes.” Before the fight with Pascal in May, Hopkins was the preacher. He said Pascal was the student and he was the professor. So Hopkins has a way with words, though there is never a doubt backing up what he says. He does not back away from competition in a division that is known for mediocrity, though Hopkins continues to give the light heavyweight picture some sense of exposure and Pascal has done his part. Pascal adds to the interest and Dawson can make it more interesting if he backs up his words and gives Hopkins an interesting fight.

Hopkins came into the Pascal fight with a mission and teach, the then champion a lesson. He played mind games with the title belts. There were the Pascal accusations of Hopkins using body enhancement drugs. Hopkins handled that the way a veteran does by outtalking his opponent. The discussion continued afterwards as Pascal, quietly, in social media circuits has tried to renew the topic and discussion. And Hopkins quietly stays away from the controversy and continues to defend his historic championship win as the oldest fighter to hold a major title.

“The bottom line is they are going to see a better, a more aggressive smart fighter in me when I defeat Chad Dawson,” he says. “I’m coming in there with an aggressive game but a smart game. If people think that the last two fights of my career were the old Bernard Hopkins from the Blue Horizon to Atlantic City days in the early 90’s then I’m saying they should watch this fight.”

And they will watch, pay-per-view or on their HBO televised cable package. Because Hopkins is a draw and has always been one. The disappointment was seeing the venue for this fight shifted from to the west coast because of a territorial dispute with Main Events, the New Jersey based promotional company that holds rights and fees of promoting fights at the Newark based Prudential Center. That took away a local fan base for Hopkins of nearby Philadelphia, and for Dawson up the road in New Haven Connecticut.

That was not an issue for Hopkins. His fan base will be there and they will watch. Because he continues to make boxing history with every fight, and another win just adds to a legacy that may never be matched, with the exception of the undefeated heavyweight streak of the late Rocky Marciano.

“I chose to continue to fight,” he says, “and defend what I worked so hard to get. So why not, get all the benefits of what I’ve been doing for 30 something years and then walk away when it’s time.” The question is when will Hopkins walk away? He does not know, and gets around the question when asked. Hopkins does not need the money, has the body of a 20-year old, and unless Dawson gets the win, the answer will never come.

It becomes a routine and just a different lecture when he meets the media. “In today’s world, where unfortunately most athletes either don’t stay as focused long enough after they get a taste of what we call success in life, or just run into the wrong match, the wrong person. So I’m going to have fun in the second half of my life.”

Now the question is, with Dawson on an agenda, will Hopkins have more fun next Saturday night?

Giradri Did His Best, But Not The Yanks

By Rich Mancuso

In the end New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi did his best. The team did not, in particular the heart of his lineup, Alex Rodriquez and Mark Teixeira combined 5-for-36 in the five game American League Division Series loss to the Detroit Tigers that concluded in the Bronx late Thursday night.

And for the Yankees, now it is time to go home and decisions for GM Brian Cashman to evaluate what has to be done. Because this Yankees team, though overcoming adversity with pitching and injuries, did not have enough to culminate in championship number 28 and without a championship in October the Yankees season is not an accomplishment.

“I think there was a lot of questions as we exited spring training and I think over time those questions get answered with ream legitimate contributors,” said a disappointed Cashman when the Yankees season abruptly ended. “This team got stronger and mentally tougher along the way and showed themselves as a formidable opponent for a world championship..”

But it was not enough for a world championship. Girardai did not expect this to be the outcome. You could see the disappointment as he addressed the media for a final time. It was not the pitching or his moves out of the bullpen after Ivan Nova had to be lifted early. It was the offense, a 200 million dollar team built to win and produce runs as they did during the season which led the American League in wins.

“Our guys played hard,” commented Girardi. They did. Robinson Cano, with 9 runs batted in during the series, was not responsible for a Yankees team that left 40 men left on base in the five games. Neither was Brett Gardner, or the veteran Jorge Posada who may have played his last game in Yankees pinstripes with five championship rings to his resume. CC Sabathia, who is probably going to opt out of a contract, was not the overpowering starter. And he did not play a role in a game one win that Nova finished because of the rain out last Friday evening.

“Tonight, if we were one at bat better we might win the game,” said Teixeira. “This one especially stings,” said Rodriguez. He made the final out of 2011, striking out, as he did so much this season. The Yankees have six more years of Rodriguez, a contract that appears to be money going down the drain. Rodriguez is hurting from knee and other ailments, though he will never admit to this being an impact as to why his numbers were not similar to the at bats he had in the last championship of 2009.

In the meantime, Girardi managed like it was the last game. He utilized every member of the pen, with the exception of Mariano Rivera, the other member of that Core Four who threw eight pitches in the five games, fewest in his 32 post season games. “That’s baseball,” said Rivera, as he is accustomed to saying in a quiet Yankees clubhouse.

Rivera will return next season. So will Curtis Granderson who had an MVP type season. Nick Swisher may be the other man out for 2012, with an option that may not be picked up. So Cashman does have work to do. And it means possibly looking for an ace on the mound, if Sabathia does not decide to stay. And even if he does like New York, Sabathia will be looking for more money and another team, maybe the Angels who can pay him.

Said Girardi, “Obviously this is a terrible day for us, but some days you just get beat.” It is an aging roster and Girardi did his best. And for the second time since 2007, in the old stadium and the new one, the Tigers Miguel Cabrera was on the field in the Bronx celebrating as his team eliminated the Yankees. The last time was 2007, when as a member of the Marlins’, Cabrera won a World Series in a deciding game.

Yes, this will be an interesting off season for Cashman and the Yankees. In the old days, the late George Steinbrenner would be speaking. Speculation about managerial and coaching changes would be talked about the next day. But not this time, because this was not the fault of Girardi or the coaching staff.

It is a Yankees roster that needs to be evaluated, especially Rodriguez and his .118 average in the series that got booed when he made the final out.

Miguel Cotto Makes Another Change and Replaces Emanuel Steward As Money Could Have Been An Issue

By Rich Mancuso

There was suspicion almost two weeks ago when Emanuel Steward was not at the side of his fighter Migeul Cotto. At the press conference tour in New York City to announce the Cotto fight with Antonio Margarito at Madison Square Garden on December 3rd. Steward was only available for comment by phone. He was preparing his middleweight Andy Lee who defeated Brian Vera at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City this past Saturday.

In New York, Cotto seemed agitated, and it apparently had more to do than anticipating his redemption fight against Margarito.

Steward responded to questions about Cotto by phone later that day. He said Cotto was ready and they had a great relationship towards working their third fight together. He was evasive and defensive as to why he was not in New York. And, Saturday at ringside, after Lee won his fight, Steward was asked again about Cotto. He gave his opinion, though it was not clear when he would join Cotto for training camp.

The speculation, if there was any, came to a sudden halt Tuesday afternoon. Cotto made a change after two fights with Steward and Pedro Luis Diaz of Cuba will get him prepared for Margarito. While Steward claims he did not have a contract in his hand as of Saturday, Cotto sources are claiming it was a money issue which has also been confirmed by sources at Top Rank, promoters of Cotto and Margarito.

The money issue, according to sources is attributed to why they parted ways. It reportedly is a significant amount, substantially more from the contracts he had when training Cotto for title defenses against Yuri Foreman and Ricardo Mayorga. And there is a report, not confirmed, that Steward has not been paid in full for the Mayorga fight. And recall when Cotto dismissed his uncle, Evangalista, as his trainer, it had more to do than a difference of philosophy. That too was also attributed to differences with how much and who gets what.

So this latest turn of events obviously changes a complexion of the fight with Margarito. Steward had Cotto making the adjustments. He was a much different fighter against Foreman and Mayorga, and the bashing he took from Margarito in their first fight was in the distance. And then there was no speculation, later revealed from the outcome of the Margarito-Shane Mosley fight, that Margarito was using tainted hand wraps under his gloves that enabled Cotto to get stopped in the 11th round.

What is known now is that there have been obvious differences with Steward and Cotto, business related and nothing to do with adjustments and in ring strategy. Previous fighters under Steward have dismissed his services because of his busy schedule with HBO Boxing telecasts and a round the clock schedule of training other fighters. Chad Dawson left Steward and made a change for his upcoming fight with Bernard Hopkins next week for the light heavyweight title.

Did someone get to the ears of Cotto? That according to sources may have been in the works. Though a statement from Cotto, also seen on his web site said, “I met Pedro Luis as an amateur several years ago and had the opportunity to share time with him in several international competitions. I was instantly amazed as to the vast boxing technique and conditioning knowledge that he transmitted to his fighters.”

Cotto also mentioned strength and conditioning Coach Phil Landman, who has a good relationship with Pedro Luis. And there were reports, again not confirmed, that Steward had a difference of opinion with conditioning of Cotto before the fight with Foreman. “Together,” said Cotto, “a perfect fit to bring my best potential for my next fight in December and lead me to victory.”

Steward expressed surprise when he was informed. He stated everything was in place to begin training Cotto this weekend and he holds no grudge against Cotto or his management team that also includes attorney Gabriel Penagaricano. He will be at ringside calling the fight for HBO instead of being in Cotto’s corner which becomes an awkward situation

But this is business, and Cotto obviously wanted to once again make everything perfect. The Margarito fight has been on the agenda since that loss in the 2008 welterweight title fight. A perfect world for Cotto means having a trainer dedicated to him and meeting his financial terms. The relationship worked when Cotto won the junior middleweight title over Foreman at Yankee Stadium last year and in his first title defense against Mayorga earlier this year.

Cotto also said “I want to take this opportunity to express my wholehearted attitude to Emanuel Steward who I consider a friend and mentor. “Because of calendar conflicts and other matters, we were unable to work together for this next fight. His is one of the best trainers I have ever met in boxing. I will forever be appreciative for the two fights we worked together.” He added that the door will be left open to maybe working again in the future if timing and circumstances make that possible.

Though Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao and dozens of other fighters also has a demanding schedule, there is a difference. Steward is also employed by HBO, and there is always a discussion about HBO and Steward in the corner of a fighter being a conflict of interest. Cotto never addressed that situation and his only concern, that has been confirmed, was Steward giving him the appropriate time when it came to his two or three fight commitments for the year.

Or as sources close to Steward have come to hear, he believes Margarito will walk all over Cotto at the Garden. Cotto may have had knowledge of that comment, if it is true. However, Steward, as much as he has gained respect as a Hall of Fame trainer has been known to bad mouth fighters that have no longer utilized his services.

Regardless of the circumstances, Cotto remains confident. But adjusting again to a new trainer will be monitored and it could mean an advantage for Margarito.

It All Depends On The Yankees Pitching To Go Past The Tigers

By Rich Mancuso

If the Yankees are coming home to the Bronx Thursday night for a game 5 in this opening round of the American League Divisional Series against Detroit, it will be the pitching that them there. Because of a suspended game 1 Friday in the Bronx, the complexion of this series changed. And if New York is going to do it, their ace, CC Sabathia will be the one to get them to the ALCS next week.

And the heart of their batting order, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira had to produce better at the plate. Teixeira going into Game 3 Monday night was 1-for-7 and if numbers tell the story a .221 career hitter in Detroit, then his bat will remain silent. Detroit Tigers fans have been waiting since 2006 when their team last appeared in the playoffs. Yankees fans are always looking ahead, but this time they can’t depend on A.J. Burnett who was scheduled to pitch game 4, Tuesday evening at Comerica Park.

“You don’t want them to take a 2-1 lead and have them get a chance to close it out,” commented Teixeira Sunday in the Bronx after the Tigers made this an interesting series and a chance to go home and close the Yankees season. However, Sabathia , even if he is not at his best, knows that until the last pitch the Yankees are never facing elimination.

This is a Yankees team that is reliant. Adversity with pitching was a storyline of 2011. And if was not for the strong first half from the innings pitched by Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, and some good pitching in the second half of their division winning season, the Yankees may not have been where they are. “The road to the championship isn’t easy and it never is,” said Rodriguez, who may still be showing effects of a bad hip and sore thumb.

Sore excuses though never seem to hinder the Yankees. They go on and strive to reach the pinnacle of a season. Another World Series championship is in reach if they manage to get by the Tigers, with or without the offense coming from the bats of Teixeira and Rodriguez. It is October and they feel this is where they belong.

It was like this in 2006 when the Yankees and Tigers last met in the ALDS. The Tigers won game 2 and the Yankees would go home. Pitching then got the Tigers to move on, but then New York did not have a work horse in the name of CC Sabathia. He came to New York to win championships and got one in 2009. The mission is to get another ring, just like the five that three of his “Core Four” teammates have, that being Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Saturday in the Bronx, in the game that resumed, it was evident how Robinson Cano and the rookie pitcher Ivan Nova have become the future of the Yankees. Posada and Jeter had a minimal role in giving their team a 1-0 series advantage. It was Nova who picked up for Sabathia from Friday night, and Cano driving in six runs, and Jeter having a quiet night. Rivera the best post season pitcher out of the bullpen was not needed to preserve the win.

Garcia made some good pitches Sunday to Tigers hitters Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera “They find a way to get a base hit,” he said. “They don’t really hit the ball good, but a base hit is a base hit,” he said. Sure it was a hit. Here and there that produces a run. And Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander, who went against Sabathia again Monday night, caught the attention of Jeter as well as Detroit closer Jose Valverde.

“You think that something good is going to happen good for us, but Valverde is hard enough to score a run off,” said Jeter about the Detroit closer who was perfect, 48 saves and none blown out of the pen this season. And it was Valverde who closed the Yankees down in the ninth inning Sunday, after a Nick Swisher home run made things a little more interesting.

Yes, this is a battle for the Yankees to advance against either the Texas Rangers or Tampa Bay in the ALCS. Before the season commenced in late March that sting of losing to Texas last October in the ALCS was still lingering in their thoughts. This time though, with rain in the Bronx that became a factor, it is two names in Detroit that have the potential of New York not seeing Texas again.

Verlander, the potential Cy Young Award winner and Valverde, the 2011 version of Rivera out of the pen can send the Yankees home to the Bronx, but not to chase another pennant and world championship.

Email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Martinez KO’s Barker and Retains WBC Middleweight Diamond Title

By Rich Mancuso

Atlantic City – Sergio Martinez, the WBC Diamond Belt Middleweight champion retained his title with an 11th round stoppage over Darren Barker Saturday evening at Boardwalk Hall In Atlantic City, a knockout not as stunning as the one he administered to Paul Williams in the first round at the same venue last November.

But the win was good enough to keep Martinez possibly among the elite as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the business. It was a right upper cut to the temple that put Barker on the mat that caused referee Eddie Cotton to call and end at 1:29 of the round in the scheduled 12-rounder.

Barker, (23-1, 14 K0’S) the relatively unknown and undefeated fighter from London England used his technical and defensive technique against Martinez. In the fourth round, Barker caught Martinez in an exchange that caused the champion to sustain a broken nose. With blood coming from his mouth, Martinez was losing some stamina but was able to withstand the defense and power from Barker.

Sensing the urgency that Martinez is at the pinnacle of his career, Lou DiBella, promoter of Martinez, and co-promoter of the HBO televised card, believed Barker was the appropriate opponent for the champion from Argentina. The win may propel Martinez to bigger pay days, though it is still undetermined if Martinez would remain at middleweight or take on the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto or any of the other known fighters at 147 or 154.

“Every challenge is a strong challenge,” commented Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KO’s) who had a contingent of fans at half empty Boardwalk Hall. “I knew it was going to be this type of fight. I planned for this,” he said. And it appeared Martinez was struggling in the first six rounds but got stronger as the fight progressed. “I knew I would get stronger as the fight went on. I kept throwing the right hand because I knew it was going to land. It landed more and more as the fight went on.”

When asked if he would be interested in taking on the winner of the upcoming light heavyweight fight with Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson, Martinez said, “I’m ready to fight anyone as long as we can come to a good deal for me and for my rival.”

Barker wanted to prove he belonged in the ring with Martinez. He was not a mandatory challenger and had he pulled off an upset, DIBella and Martinez may have not been talking about lucrative and future pay days. But DiBella believes Martinez deserves to be in the discussion towards getting a lucrative opportunity in the ring with Pacquiao or Cotto.

The co-feature of the HBO televised card saw middleweight Andy Lee avenge a loss to Brian Vera with a 10-round unanimous decision In their first fight on ESPN, in March of 2008 at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Vera overcome an early barrage of punches but he managed to stop Lee in the seventh round.

A straight left from Lee (27-1-19 KO’s) put Vera down towards end of the second round and quickly earned him points. Lee, rated 2nd by the WBA and 6th by the WBC won his 12th straight fight. Vera (19-6, 12 KO’s) of Austin Texas would sustain a nasty cut in the next round above the left eyebrow.

“The plan was to hit him and pull out so I wasn’t exposed,” said Lee about his strategy. “I was trying to knock him out but it’s hard with him,” Lee added, “with Vera offense is his defense. He is not a counter puncher so I had to put the pressure on.

Oh the revenge win he said, “The importance of this win was immeasurable. If not for tonight I would have been haunted the rest of my life.”

In another undercard bout undefeated junior middleweight Steven Martinez of the Bronx New York, a national and three-time New York Golden Gloves champion, defeated Jay Krupp (14-5, 7 KO’s) when referee Steve Smoga stopped the bout at 0:38 of round five. Martinez (11-0, 9KO’s) trapped Krupp in the ropes and used a short right uppercut that sent his opponent to the canvas. For the last few weeks, Martinez was one of the lead sparring partners for Sergio Martinez.

Email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Do The Yankees Have Enough To Go All The Way?

By Rich Mancuso

We get to October and post season baseball. The New York Yankees are there again as AL East champions, the 17th time which surpassed the Atlanta Braves. And for Yankees fans, the organization, and the networks it is not October baseball if the Yankees are not a part of it.

The journey to the World Series and championship number 28 begins Friday evening in the Bronx. The Yankees will host Detroit in the best of five ALDS for the first two games Friday and Saturday evening.

In fact, the Yankees, even with a share of injuries to players, and with a suspect pitching staff went beyond expectations even if they had the highest payroll in baseball. Because they utilized veterans Freddie Garcia and Bartolo Colon, at the backend of a rotation, they got more than expected and with the ineffectiveness of A.J. Burnett, Garcia and Colon made a difference on the mound. Though Colon, in the second half, showed age and innings got to him and was not that effective.

Despite the outspoken objections from GM Brian Cashman about spending $43 million on the contract of bullpen set-up man Rafael Soriano, who sat out two months with a shoulder injury, the pen is one of the strong points that favor New York in October. In the end, Soriano in the pen makes the Yankees tough to beat in later innings that are close. Manager Joe Girardi can get seven innings from his starter, and it is a perfect set up getting to Mariano Rivera baseball’s all-time saves leader after he reached a milestone 602 save in mid September. And there is David Robertson the one-out specialist who leads all American League relievers in earned run average.

Robinson Cano had a MVP type season, the captain Derek Jeter achieved a milestone 3,000 career hit, showing no signs of an aging veteran, and Alex Rodriguez with knee, hip and thumb ailments is still a viable threat in the lineup. A potent lineup that once again led baseball in home runs, maybe attributed to the friendly confines of the new Yankee Stadium.

Regardless of how far they go, networks that televise the baseball post season, Fox and TBS, are thrilled that the Yankees are playing in October again and hope that they go deep and advance to another World Series. Because the Yankees are a vital cog to baseball network coverage when it comes to the ratings and revenue, and fans will watch because most of America has that anti Yankees approach. They like to see the second most expensive sports franchise go out the window early.

But an early exit for the Yankees may not happen. If their ace on the mound, CC Sabathia goes deep into the ballgame, the pen will take over. Rivera, who had some struggles, a 42-year old arm will do that from time-to-time, is considered the best post season reliever in baseball history. The rotation is set with the rookie Ivan Nova making more of an impression with every start. A.J. Burnett could come out of the pen and Phil Hughes, questionable for the first round, in September showed some side effects from a bad shoulder that sidelined him most of the season.

Yes, there are questions and a first round best of five with Detroit could be trouble for New York. There could be an eventual showdown with the Boston Red Sox, the adversaries and a team New York had constant struggles with again in 2011, that is, until the Red Sox had a late season collapse. But that showdown would be ideal for the networks because New York and Boston is the rival series in sports. A best of seven and who goes to the World Series will be a ratings bonanza.

But what defines the 2011 Yankees is their versatility and awareness once again that they came up short in 2010. The veterans such as Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, as well as the manager Joe Girardi know anything less than an appearance or winning of the World Series is a failure.

So the mission since leaving the field and losing to Texas in the ALCS last October was try and forget how close they got to defending championship number 27, and get number 28, back to the Bronx. Ownership, Cashman, Girardi and the Yankees believe they have the nucleus to do that, and saw a solid year from Jeter, MarkTeixeira, Curtis Granderson and possible MVP candidate Robinson Cano.

They may be older, this Yankees roster that begins the October part of their campaign, the second oldest in baseball. Though the wave of talented youngsters in the organization made some stops in the Bronx this season including rookie catcher Jesus Montero, considered one of their top prospects. And Eduardo Nunez, the 22-year old got a taste of the big club last season and is a versatile infield backup who filled in when Jeter and Rodriguez hit the disabled list.

Brett Gardner and Jeter, they get on base and what follows is a lot of runs scored again. In the end it comes down to that starting pitching. All in all, predicting the outcome of a short series in October is not easy. Good pitching will get you far in the post season.

But, will that pitching be enough for the Yankees to get championship number 28 and another parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway? Time will tell as October baseball is here.

-email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com