Hideki Matsui

RAUL IBANEZ has finally found a new home. Ibanez, the Phillies' leftfielder for the last three seasons, yesterday agreed to a 1-year, $1.1 million contract with the New York Yankees, according to sources. Ibanez' deal also includes $2.9 million in performance bonuses. "He's a guy that's hit righthanders very well over his career, can still play the outfield," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, without confirming the agreement. "Has been a productive player if you look over the last 10 years.

Remember the 2009 World Series when Johnny Damon shocked the world, stealing second base in the ninth inning of Game 4, score tied. You thought Johnny Damon couldn't steal second base with a mask and a gun. Then Damon jumped up, saw third base was unprotected, and stole that, too. You looked at your teenage son wearing his Utley jersey and a forlorn expression, and whispered, "The Phillies are dead. " You just knew something mystical was happening. "I was running the bases with Damon," Hart Seely said proudly.

Alex Sanchez, the first player to be suspended for failing a test under Major League Baseball's new steroids policy, was cut yesterday by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Sanchez, who was designated for assignment, lost his starting role despite a .346 batting average. He has been poor defensively in the outfield and was unhappy with being a backup. One day after ripping the team's new ownership for not doing enough to win now, Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella stood by his remarks.

After two weeks of practice, major-league teams are ready for the games to begin. There were three games against college teams yesterday, and the official exhibition schedule starts today at camps in Florida and Arizona. Much of the attention will be on Tampa, Fla., where Hideki Matsui plays left field in his first spring-training game with the New York Yankees. A sellout crowd at Legends Field, Yankees fans back home in New York, and many other people around baseball want to see how the team's newest star handles the switch from Japan to the major leagues.

Aware that he was tiring, Pedro Martinez said he told Boston manager Grady Little to have relievers warming up late in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees. "I said, 'Get the guys ready in case I get in trouble,' " Martinez said yesterday of his conversation in the dugout after the seventh inning. Little was criticized for sticking with Martinez after they talked on the mound in the eighth inning. Martinez thought he could get Hideki Matsui out, but his double put runners at second and third.

Raul Ibanez is in "serious discussions" to sign with the New York Yankees, according to a tweet from a FoxSports.com reporter. The report indicated that the former Phillies leftfielder would take less money to sign with the Yankees than with another team. However, a Yankees source told ESPNNewYork.com that "nothing is about to happen" and that "prices have got to come down a bit. " When approached by the Daily News at the Sixers game last night, Ibanez offered no comment or update.

Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui's left knee has swollen, increasing the possibility he will need season-ending surgery and perhaps giving the team reason to contemplate signing Barry Bonds. General manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that Matsui was running out of options to rehabilitate his knee, which has sidelined him since June 22 and kept him from playing the outfield since June 15. Bonds has offered to play at the minimum salary but has been shunned by all 30 major league teams this year.

San Francisco Giants owner Peter Magowan said the team would not re-sign Barry Bonds, even at a reduced rate. To drive home the point, the team has removed from AT&T Park all prominent signs referring to the home-run king. "The time came when we needed to go in a new direction," Magowan said Wednesday. A team spokeswoman said the Giants planned to put up a plaque where Bonds' final homer with the team landed. Yankees. Lefthander Andy Pettitte, slowed by back spasms, is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Sunday.

Nothing like a little back-and-forth between New York and Philly baseball teams, but this time it's not the Mets and Phillies. It's the Yankees. Seems some in the Yankees organization bristled when Cliff Lee said among the reasons why the Yankees were his third choice this offseason behind the Phils and Texas was because "some of the Yankeee guys are getting older. " "Some of our core guys that we have relied on have gotten up there, but we have a group of young players that we're excited about," Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded, according to the New York Post . "All we care about is being called champions.

Frank Thomas drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single, and host Toronto beat the Yankees last night, 2-1, to snap New York's seven-game winning streak. The Yankees, who fell 5 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East, now head to Fenway Park to begin a three-game series against their rival tonight. Yankees righthander Roger Clemens threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday and said he has "no doubt" he'll return from a sore elbow to start Sunday's series finale.

Remember the 2009 World Series when Johnny Damon shocked the world, stealing second base in the ninth inning of Game 4, score tied. You thought Johnny Damon couldn't steal second base with a mask and a gun. Then Damon jumped up, saw third base was unprotected, and stole that, too. You looked at your teenage son wearing his Utley jersey and a forlorn expression, and whispered, "The Phillies are dead. " You just knew something mystical was happening. "I was running the bases with Damon," Hart Seely said proudly.

Before the season, the Yankees traded slugging prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle. They let Jorge Posada - one of the 'Core Four' who won five World Series - head off into retirement. They passed on fan favorites Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui - guys who practically delivered the 2009 series win over the Phillies and who are both still available. The Yanks did all this so they could sign Raul Ibanez, who is less than three months away from his 40th birthday. Nobody is professing any concern just yet, but the former Phillie had two hits in his first 31 at-bats in spring training with seven strikeouts, no home runs and one run batted in. After Ibanez went 0 for 3 on Sunday night against Baltimore, the New York Times reported a full-court press of 11 media representatives surrounding Ibanez's locker.

RAUL IBANEZ has finally found a new home. Ibanez, the Phillies' leftfielder for the last three seasons, yesterday agreed to a 1-year, $1.1 million contract with the New York Yankees, according to sources. Ibanez' deal also includes $2.9 million in performance bonuses. "He's a guy that's hit righthanders very well over his career, can still play the outfield," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, without confirming the agreement. "Has been a productive player if you look over the last 10 years.

Raul Ibanez is in "serious discussions" to sign with the New York Yankees, according to a tweet from a FoxSports.com reporter. The report indicated that the former Phillies leftfielder would take less money to sign with the Yankees than with another team. However, a Yankees source told ESPNNewYork.com that "nothing is about to happen" and that "prices have got to come down a bit. " When approached by the Daily News at the Sixers game last night, Ibanez offered no comment or update.

Brian Gordon pitched way better than the 32-year-old journeyman he is, keeping the Yankees close in a most unlikely outing before Brett Gardner hit a winning single in the 12th inning that sent New York past the visiting Texas Rangers, 3-2, yesterday. The Yankees became the first team to sweep AL champion Texas this year, taking all three games. New York won for the sixth time in seven tries and sent the Rangers to their season-worst fifth loss in a row. Plucked this week from the Phillies, Gordon made his first big-league appearance since 2008 and drew a no-decision for his 5 innings.

Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning off closer Jose Valverde and the visiting New York Yankees beat Detroit, 5-3, last night, handing the Tigers their seventh straight defeat. The Tigers rallied from a 3-0 deficit, tying it in the seventh on Alex Avila's second solo home run of the night, but the Yankees broke through in their last at-bat against Valverde (2-1). With runners on first and second and one out, Swisher singled up the middle and Mark Teixeira scored from second with a slide.

Nothing like a little back-and-forth between New York and Philly baseball teams, but this time it's not the Mets and Phillies. It's the Yankees. Seems some in the Yankees organization bristled when Cliff Lee said among the reasons why the Yankees were his third choice this offseason behind the Phils and Texas was because "some of the Yankeee guys are getting older. " "Some of our core guys that we have relied on have gotten up there, but we have a group of young players that we're excited about," Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded, according to the New York Post . "All we care about is being called champions.

The most amazing, sensational - oh, never mind With Los Angeles trailing by 2-1, Angels slugger Hideki Matsui launched an 0-and-1 fastball from Mariners lefty Jason Vargas into deep right field with two out and one out in the top of the seventh inning on Wednesday. Matsui slowly trotted to first, watching the arc of the ball and thinking, he said later, it would put him on the front pages all over Japan. Not because it would be a massive home run - he didn't think he got all of it - but because it was his countryman Ichiro Suzuki tracking back to the wall for what would be a spectacular catch that would churn the throngs of Nippon newsmen in the press box into a frenzy.

Hideki Matsui and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $6 million, 1-year contract yesterday, bringing the World Series MVP and two-time All-Star to the American League West power. Matsui hit .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBI last season for the New York Yankees, then was selected World Series MVP despite starting only three of the six games against the Phillies. He went 8-for-13 (.615) with three homers and eight RBI, tying a Series record by driving in six runs in the decisive Game 6. "We are excited to have a player with talent that Hideki brings," Angeles general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement.

A person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press that Hideki Matsui and the Los Angeles Angels have reached a preliminary agreement on a 1-year contract worth about $6.5 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet final. Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, confirmed "serious negotiations" but declined further comment. Matsui batted .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBI for the New York Yankees last season, then was selected World Series MVP despite starting only three of the six games against the Phillies.