But the day wasn’t over. Word broke on Thursday night that the venerable closer of the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera, had sustained a knee injury while shagging fly balls during batting practice. The deluge of Tweets was overwhelming and sent the Twitter-verse into a tailspin as it was confirmed that Rivera had, indeed, sustained a torn right ACL. The career of the future Hall of Famer and quintessential closer, the standard by which the position has been measured for the better part of 20 years, may have thrown his last pitch.

Think about the turnover and instability of the closer slot. Nearly half of major league teams have turned over the job because of injuries and ineffectiveness, and we’re not out of the FIRST WEEK OF MAY! Carlos Marmol has all but lost the job in Chicago, and Ozzie Guillen has intimated that Heath Bell’s contract may not save him in Miami.

It’s a mad world, to be sure. For now, let’s focus on the Yankees and celebrate Rivera’s entrance music.

David Robertson likely becomes the team’s closer following Rivera’s injury. He has yet to allow an earned run this season in 11 innings pitched while striking out 18 batters. Robertson has allowed seven hits and three walks (0.91 WHIP).

Rafael Soriano might also be worth a speculative play in the event that Joe Girardi turns this into a quasi-committee in the short-term.

The feel-good mentality carried over into the early frames as the Red Sox built a 9-0 lead against the grossly ineffective Freddy Garcia and a pair of relievers before Mark Teixeira finally broke through with a solo home run in the sixth inning. The Yankees then exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning and another seven runs in the eight inning to leave Valentine flummoxed.

He actually used the term “hit bottom” to describe the team and the situation following the 15-9 defeat. Seriously, he used the term “rock bottom” after 14 games (4-10).

• What happens if this doesn’t shift in the next several weeks and we’re looking at a .400 winning percentage come Memorial Day?
• What’s below “hit bottom?”
• Does he even get a chance to stay that long if things don’t improve this week against the Twins and White Sox?

Valentine received a short-term reprieve on Sunday when inclement weather canceled the finale of the three-game set against New York, but that’s no solution. The calls for his head are coming through loud and clear, with reports of riffs with several members of the team coming in the wake of his public comments about Kevin Youkilis.

We knew that we’d get some tidbits from Valentine as the season progressed. I just didn’t know that we’d be at such an elevated level in April.

Both games ended up having great significance. I’ll address the Red Sox meltdown and Bobby Valentine’s status in another post. In this entry, I celebrate the perfect game tossed by Humber.

He took aim at a weak-hitting Seattle lineup (.223 team batting average). As I noted on my FOX Sports Radio show Sunday morning, this Seattle lineup had already been beaten (dominated) by the resurgent Bartolo Colon of Oakland. The Mariners are on the short list for owners streaming starting pitchers in fantasyland.

Humber threw strike after strike en route to the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history. He got 67 of his 95 pitches over for strikes, including the now-famous check-swing putout that ended the game. It wouldn’t have been a big White Sox moment without an A.J. Pierzynski appearance. Humber tallied nine strikeouts overall, fanning each of the starters except for second baseman Dustin Ackley.

Much has been made of Humber’s career record in the aftermath of this event. Fans and pundits are quick to forget that Humber was the No. 3 overall selection by the Mets in the 2004 Draft and that he did post a fantastic first half in 2011 (8-5 with a 3.10 ERA) for the White Sox. Of course, he then imploded in the second half.

Humber pitched well in his season debut against the Orioles prior to this gem. He’ll next face the embattled Red Sox.

Price was the unfortunate victim who served up hit number 3,000 to Derek Jeter and began the whole Christian Lopez debacle. He’s decided to make some lemonade and beef up the 401K by autographing photos and baseballs.

The details are contained in the Beckett report below. You can get a single-signed photo of a dejected Price watching Jeter round the bases. Or, you can go for the dual-signed 16×20 or dial up a baseball. Be prepared to fork over some big-time dollars.

Making Lemonade After Serving up 3,000

By now, you’re well aware that Derek Jeter collected his 3,000th career hit on Saturday against the Rays. It was the second hit in Jeter’s 5-for-5 performance, a home run off of David Price launched in the third inning. The montages of Jeter’s milestone hits have no doubt been played on a loop throughout the day. After all, Jeter’s the first Yankee to join the club and just the 28th in Major League Baseball history.

Forget about the hatred of the Yankees for a moment. Forget about the laundry list of All-Stars and high-priced players who have starred in pinstripes throughout his tenure. The longevity is a thing of itself.

Anyway, that’s THE story. The story within the story is the one that captivates me on a whole other level. Christian Lopez, a 23-year old fan who had been given his ticket as a birthday gift from his girlfriend, corralled the ball and promptly returned it to “The Captain.” He gets suite tickets, bats, balls and got his picture taken with the seemingly disinterested Jeter (nice branding on the t-shirt, don’t you think?

(Photo from Getty Images)

I’m torn. The baseball guy in me appreciates what Lopez did. The fan in me appreciates what Lopez did. I can’t help but stand back and think of the major dollars that the ball would have brought on the memorabilia market. The high-priced feeding frenzy of home run balls from the late-90s and such has been long dormant but, let’s face it, this milestone has a whole other life to it.

It’s the Yankees. It’s Derek “Freakin’” Jeter and 3,000 hits. In terms of memorabilia, you’re not getting any better for a long, long while.

Ivan Rodriguez & Omar Vizquel are the next two guys in line in terms of the current pecking order (2,842 and 2,831, respectively), but teammate Alex Rodriguez (2,762) is the most likely to get there. Of course, it’ll take a little longer following Saturday’s revelation that Rodriguez may miss up to a month because of a knee injury.

I’d seen estimates that the ball would bring $250,000 on the open market. I believe that that estimate was low, and by a large margin. But that doesn’t matter.

Lopez returned the ball, so it doesn’t matter. It’s just that we’re talking about a life-changing amount of money for a recent graduate. Hell, it’s a life-changing amount of money for anyone. Student loans, mortgages, car payments, credit card debt (should I keep going?) gone. Forget about the charity angle.

We play the “would your rather?” and “what would you do?” games on so many meaningless, innocuous and downright silly things. This was a big one.

It was his third home run of the season. Now, there had obviously been a lot of talk about the hit this week, but few could have anticipated that Jeter would homer to reach the mark.

The question now becomes — what’s the ball worth?

Would you give it back?
Would you hold him ransom?
What would be the price for turning it over to Jeter?

Remember, the home run balls of the PEDs era were fetching hundred of thousands and even into the millions. Here, you’ve got “The Captain,” the revered hero in the Bronx who has just gone to work. Oh yeah, he’s the first Yankee to reach this mark. In a team history replete with sluggers, Jeter stands out. It is truly an historic item.

Hate the Yankees. Respect the milestone … and enjoy the gratuitous shots of Minka Kelly.

Respect. It’s what fans showed to Jeter this year when they selected him for the All-Star Game. You can hate the Yankees, but you have to respect the accomplishments. He’s got a handful of rings, a pile of All-Star appearances and obviously the huge hit list off of the field.

Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk ran down the good, bad and ugly of Jeter’s tenure in the Bronx. He runs through the pitchers torched by Jeter and those who have dominated “The Captain.” Jorge Julio makes the list. Bet you can’t put him on the right list …

Derek Jeter and the Chase for 3,000

Luke Hughes, who ripped six home runs during spring training, was recalled to take his place on the active roster. Matt Tolbert, a lifetime .246 hitter in 403 at-bats, will also receive at-bats in Nishioka’s absence.

He was a darkhorse candidate for AL Rookie of the Year to follow in the footsteps of his countryman, Ichiro Suzuki.

Now comes word that the Yankees have inked Martin to a contract. Terms of the deal have not been released.

However, Yankee fans and team executives can scream loud and proud, “We got one!”

The Blue Jays and Red Sox had reportedly been in discussions with the former All-Star as well. His batting average has dipped in three consecutive seasons with declining power and speed contributions. However, Martin won’t turn 28 until February, so he gives New York their potential long-term successor to Jorge Posada.

As such, the question must be asked. Is a Jesus Montero deal in the offing? The catching prospect was a coveted piece in all trade discussions last season when the Yankees were sniffing around Cliff Lee in Seattle.

I suspect that the Yankees go back to the well and kick the tires on what it might take to extricate Felix Hernandez from Seattle. Zach Greinke is a beast in Kansas City, but would New York be the right fit? Greinke certainly figures to be dealt, but would the pinstripes work?

The free agent pitching options for New York aren’t front-line starters. Therefore, the top priority appears to be convincing Andy Pettitte to eschew retirement for another season.

The Montero to Seattle thing is somewhat clouded after the Mariners doled out $7 million to bring Miguel Olivo back to the squad. However, Olivo is 32 years old. I understand that he comes back to Seattle off of two strong power seasons in Kansas City and Colorado, but the Mariners need to project long-term.

Brian Cashman went to work quickly after the Cliff Lee stinger from Monday night.

The sizzle isn’t off of the hot stove just yet.

The Phillies now boast baseball’s version of “The Four Horsemen.” Don’t pretend that you don’t recognize the reference.

Following outfielder Jayson Werth’s departure for Washington and a monstrous contract, the Phillies quietly struck a deal with the game’s most sought-after free agent. Lee joins a rotation that already included Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.

- Halladay won 21 games in his first season in Philadelphia with a dominant 2.44 ERA. He completed nine games while racking up 250 innings of work.
- Oswalt went 7-1 after joining the Phillies while pitching to a 1.74 ERA. He also produced a 2.75 ERA in four post-season appearances.
- Hamels’ record didn’t quite indicate how brilliantly he pitched at times. He produced a record of 12-11 despite recording a 3.09 ERA.

And we all know about what Lee’s done since being shipped to the minors in Cleveland. Last season, he earned a 3.18 ERA with 10 strikeouts per walk. Lee won only four of his 15 regular season starts for the Rangers, but dominated the post-season to bring the Rangers into the Series.

He returns to Philadelphia, where he won seven of 12 starts in 2009 with a 3.39 ERA.

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The Phillies were the second-highest scoring team in the National League at 4.8 runs per game (seventh overall).

Obviously, there is a need in the outfield following Werth’s departure to prop up the offense. Of course, when you’re giving up 2-3 runs per game, there’s no need for a run-scoring conga line.

I wonder what the tone of the conference call was in New York when news of Lee’s signing (five years, by the current report) broke. The pinstripes clearly didn’t present that siren call to Lee.

Derek Jeter re-signed, so one of the cash cows returns to the pinstripes for an extended run. That keeps the fans excited and those steeped in “legacy,” “history,” and “loyalty” placated. But, what about the future? What about the big splash when Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez are donning Red Sox uniforms?

Something tells me that the “one that got away” tale will be repeated ad nausea in the Bronx.

I knew that the title would get your attention. There was an interesting article posted on the Freakonomics blog that took an interesting spin on the handling of pitching staffs. It’ll never fly, but it certain flips the script on what we’ve been watching all our lives.

It’s a good read over lunch. I promise.

Read it here .

I’m not going to put up a 9,000-word diatribe here. We’ve been banging on the position-by-position analysis of each team for months. So, I’m just getting after it.

AL West – Angels — not as clear-cut as in years past, but still enough to get it done. Will Kendrick, Wood & the youngsters deliver?
AL Central – White Sox – deep staff & one of the best setup men in the game. Williams and Guillen’s recycled players & speed experiment works
AL East – you may want to go away from them & I know the meltdown Sunday might make you nervous (CC and April don’t mix), but the Yankes will be there in the end

AL Wild Card – Welcome aboard, Rays.

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NL West – Dodgers – that lineup, if healthy and the wigs are flying off shelves, is frightening. Kershaw something to behold.
NL Central – Let’s get a little crazy & shake things up. Rolling the dice with the Reds. Homer and Cueto (almost like dude from “Total Recall,” but not quite) are key.
NL East – Phils have some issues – back of the rotation & some ‘pen action, but still too much.

NL Wild Card – Gut says that Dave Duncan and company still put together a run.

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AL Championship Series – White Sox vs. Yankees
NL Championship Series – Reds vs. Phillies

World Series: White Sox vs. Phillies :

Champion: White Sox

Yeah, call me a homer. Call me what you will. Beckham & Ramirez form tough middle. Pierre roams the basepaths & this team generates runs to help deep rotation & strong bullpen. Bobby Hill … err, Jenks … gets the ball frequently from Thornton and Putz. Wild card to it — call-up power from Tyler Flowers.