Curtis and Nick

Thank you for the moment of silence.

For Yankee fans these two departures, especially the one by Mr. Matsui, brings a deep feeling of loss. Like losing a friend. They will be missed, that's for sure.

But Yankee fans, do not despair. Our heroes went out on top. And with their departures brings new opportunities for new heroes to emerge next year, ballplayers who will captivate and excite and inspire just as Damon and Matsui once did.

Enter Curtis Granderson and welcome back Nick Johnson. Some fans have been unhappy about the moves, sure that the Damon and Matsui combo must be better than Granderson and Johnson. But I'm not so sure about that.

On replacing Damon with Granderson: Granderson is not as well-rounded a hitter. But he's a lefty with power and just as much speed as Johnny. He is a massive upgrade defensively. And according to reports he gets along with the others in the clubhouse just as well as Mr. Damon did. Because of his age, I think the Yankees made a fine move here.

On replacing Matsui with Johnson: There's no doubt that Matsui is an almost un-replacable elite hitter. But Nick Johnson ain't bad. In fact Johnson has consistently been over .400 in on base percentage during his career, a benchmark that Matsui has never attained in MLB. Matsui has more power but Johnson is even more patient, and can play the field, giving other regulars a rest. It will be great to have him back in pinstripes.

So long, Matsui and Damon. We wish you well.

Johnny and Hideki

The New Yorker's Roger Angell wrote a great piece about the Yankees' title run this year. At the end he gave a vivid, moving tribute to two of the team's biggest world series heroes, Matsui and Damon, both of whom will probably be with other teams next year.

Matsui hit .600 in the World Series. Damon's late-inning heroics in game 4 were the turning point in the World Series. A moment of silence, please, for these two great Yankee heroes....

The Offseason chess match

It has probably been said before that championships are often won or lost in the offseason. This is the time when teams are created, or re-created. It's the time when players are traded, the money changes hands, and the brightest minds in each organization around the league go toe to toe to build a world series winner.

And the chess match has already begun. A moment of silence, please, for Brian Bruney, who pitched very well for the Yankees early in the year, for Ian Kennedy, who never pitched well and will now go work on his two seam fastball elsewhere, for Phil Coke, who pitched heroically many times and will be missed, and for Austin Jackson, probably the Yankees' best position prospect. Mr. Jackson had all the tools, except for power. He should be a starter next season for another team, and we wish him luck.

Enter Curtis Granderson. He's a nice addition to the team. He'll be a full-time outfielder, he's young, he has power, and he can really field. He's got speed and he'll be popular in the clubhouse. I like him.

And welcome back Andy. Just yesterday Andy Pettitte signed another one-year deal with the team, worth 11 million bucks. Good for him. With his addition the Yankees now will come back next season with the same 3 starters who carried them to glory in the 2009 playoffs.

Let's see how the chess match develops from here.