DBAHO

From Newsday.com, The Yankees opened a three-game series against Anaheim last night at Yankee Stadium, their obvious top priority. But over in Columbus, George Steinbrenner deployed not one, but two of his top "baseball people" in an effort to solve the team's top problem - the lack of a dependable fifth starter. Jose Contreras, the man most qualified to fill that void, took an upward turn in his roller-coaster Yankees career, picking up the victory for Triple-A Columbus yesterday in his first minor-league start since his May 5 demotion. Nevertheless, the Yankees appear inclined to leave Contreras in the minor leagues for now, thereby leaving the fifth starter's job in the hands of injury-prone Donovan Osborne. If Contreras can't ultimately right himself in the minor leagues and pitch consistently for the Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman conceded yesterday, "Then I'd probably have to go out and get somebody else." Contreras pitched 6 2/3 innings in the 4-3 win and allowed seven hits, three runs and a walk and struck out seven. Though he permitted a pair of homers, the Yankees said that they received positive reports from their officials on site, vice president of player personnel Billy Connors and senior vice president of player personnel Gordon Blakeley. "It's definitely a step in the right direction, there's no doubt about that," Cashman said. "He had good velocity [as high as 98 mph]. He was aggressive. He had good control. He maintained his delivery the entire game." "I know they scored three runs on two homers," Contreras, through his interpreter Leo Astacio, told the Columbus Dispatch. "But if I can throw seven innings every start and give up three runs, I'm going to be very successful." The Yankees wouldn't announce definitively what Contreras' next step would be. But both Cashman and Joe Torre indicated a desire to see Contreras start again for Columbus. Cashman said, "I'd like to see him put together a string of successful performances." With Osborne slated to pitch Saturday, the Yankees could roll the dice with Osborne for one more outing, pitch Contreras Sunday and - if he pitches well enough - reinsert the Cuban refugee into their rotation May 22. For now, the Yankees have little choice but to be patient with Contreras. The season is too young for struggling teams to give up on their fans and shed payroll. Orlando Hernandez encountered a recent setback in his recovery from May 2003 right shoulder surgery, delaying his timeline. El Duque, who had been pitching in minor-league games, will throw off flat ground today, at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. If Contreras can't produce - or for that matter, if one of the other Yankees starting pitchers suffers a serious injury - a number of veteran starting pitchers should become available. Arizona's Randy Johnson is the most obvious target. The five-time Cy Young Award winner is due $16.5 million this year and next, and the financially strapped Diamondbacks could try and convince Johnson to waive his no-trade clause for the right deal. The Yankees have some concerns about Johnson's health, however. Pittsburgh showed last year that it wouldn't hesitate to unload payroll. Yankees officials generally don't think highly of righthander Kris Benson, but the Pirates have another interesting veteran starter in Kip Wells. If the Seattle Mariners continue to play poorly, they could deal impending free agent Freddy Garcia. Such a trade would relegate Contreras, and his four-year, $32-million contract, to mop-up status. The Yankees used Contreras as a setup reliever in last year's playoffs. But now they have superior, experienced setup men in Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. The first time Blakeley saw Contreras pitch - in either 1995 or 1996, he once said - the Yankees' international scout said that he projected the hard thrower as a second or third starter on a big-league staff. Now, the Yankees are just hoping that Contreras can somehow find it within himself to be a mere fifth starter.

That's smooth Willie for ya.

It'll be a TRAVESTY if they don't get a full house.

Was the movie in french Hammerhead? Just curious because back from an overseas flight, I was able to watch the movie but it was all in french with english subtitles.

3 picks in the 1st round in this year's draft as well.

A 102-year-old Italian woman survived unscathed a fall from the fourth floor of her Turin retirement home, Italian newspapers said. Elisa Levi leaned over the railing of a fourth-storey balcony to observe repairs being made in the courtyard when she lost her balance and plunged to the ground, the La Stampa daily said. Her fall was broken by a plastic playground house destined for a neighboring preschool that had been temporarily placed alongside the building by the workers. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, with only the daily La Repubblica saying Levi had sustained any injuries: a fractured arm.

THE US trade deficit bulged to a record $US46 billion ($66.17 billion) in March, far bigger than predicted by analysts, government data showed today. The gap in trade of goods and services with the rest of the world grew to US$46 billion from $US42.1 billion ($60.56 billion) in February, the Commerce Department said.

Sum ppl just thought they could make extra money I guess, although I think a lot will be second guessin themselves now if they still wanted to go ova to make a buck or 2.

Wasn't this guy the last Tribune Blackhawks writer? I thought he looked familiar. No doubt Everett couldn't play CF, I think he only bout 13 home runs when he played for us as well, which was 5 less than his 2 months in Texas.

Yeah we're not THAT old..... yet.

No doubts it'll be Burke who's goin down. Adkins pitched well in his 2 innings today, with Politte strugglin a little a chance for Jon mayb to impress in settin up more.

Glavine's havin a pretty good season in New York so far, 4-2 with a 2.4 ERA. He's 38 though, prob could go like Jamie Moyer has for the next 2 years though. Depends what the Mets want for him, mayb a starter prospect?

Sumhow Diaz misses out again, 10. Arnaldo Munoz, Double-A Birmingham (White Sox) Entered the season with 196 relief appearances and zero starts -- has been a rotation revelation (5-0, 1.23) BA's Hot Sheet

Betta not tell Tom Jackson that.

Hav a day to remember! Happy B-Day!

Agreed. It will really giv him that confience that he needs especially against our main rival.

Can't see Carlos fittin into their outfield while they still hav Ibanez, Winn and Ichiro. We'd most likely hav to take Winn, or make it a 3 way deal.

Looks like either us or the Tiggies will hav the biggest payroll next season.

Danny Ainge: I know let's draft 3 raw high schoolers who aren't ready with our picks. Doc Rivers: So long as they don't play like Ryan Humphries or Reece Gaines I'm happy.

Don't worry, you'll hate Doc Rivers soon enough.

GTA San Andreas news rite here plus pics, GTA San Andreas Article Late today, Rockstar gave many PlayStation 2 owners what they've been waiting for--their first glimpse of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. A trio of images on the official San Andreas Web site seemed to confirm what many who have been following the game suspected. It will be set in modern times (not the 1970s-set game some had said) and will have a heavy West-Coast gangsta flava. The first image could be taken from any one of the many late 1980s/early 1990s gangsta films, such as Menace II Society or Colors. It depicts a quartet of corn-rowed, Uzi-toting O.G.s performing a drive-by shooting from a car from the same period. Shot number two shows a young hood, also with an Uzi, squatting in front of a tricked out old-school convertible, often called a "hooptie" or a "hoo-ride." He is wearing what looks like a Carhartt jacket and Timberland boots--the de facto gangsta uniform circa 1994. The last shot shows the same character riding a bicycle down neighborhood straight out of Compton, with single-level homes set against a smog-colored sky. No information was released on whether bicycles can be ridden in the game. The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas site also has a new splash page, which changes each time the site is loaded. One shows a blond woman bending over to show the tattoos on her décolletage, another features a baseball-cap wearing gangsta sporting what could be called "mad bling." A third shows, a scantily clad Latina in a bandana halter top, and a fourth shows a snarling thug with tattoo sleeves and a shaven head. All the shots indicate that the controversial Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has not lost the rough-and-ready nature of its predecessors. GameSpot will have more on this highly anticipated title--which is due in Q4 2004--as they become available.

I hate no finals without T-Mac.

Congrats witesoxfan on gettin ur license Anyways, at my Uni car park i accidently nicked a pole turnin a corner too fast, had to pay $150 bucks to get the front light replaced and it'll prob need a new bumper in the future which will cost bout $800.

Big steal this trade, Ryan Meaux and Felix Diaz for 2 months of a washed up Lofton. If Felix comes on and throws strikes and has success at the major league level, it will look even better.

Al Leiter!? Carlos Silva? LOL, wow Reynolds' disease must hav spread to Kruk and Gammons now.