I’ve been catching up on some things after an opening-day visit to Cedar Point to ride its new coaster, GateKeeper (it’s pretty cool, by the way).

Joba Chamberlain

One thing that stood out to me was the way Joba Chamberlain treated future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera before the Yankees’ game Saturday.

Rivera was speaking with the media before the Yankees-Royals game while Chamberlain was talking with his family.

According to an Associated Press account, Rivera told Chamberlain to lower his voice. Once Rivera was done with his interview, Chamberlain told Rivera in front of reporters, “Don’t ever shush me.”

Wow. Talk about respecting your elders.

Chamberlain should know better than that. Whatever disagreement they had should have been handled behind closed doors. He should not have tried to show up Rivera.

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The American League East often is called the toughest division.

Friday, however, the AL West dominated the East with four shutouts.

The A’s blanked the Yankees 2-0, the Mariners beat the Jays 4-0, the Rangers pounded the first-place Red Sox 7-0 and the Angels limited the Orioles to just three hits in a 3-0 win.

STATS Inc. says it’s the first time one division shut out another four times in a day since 1981 and third time ever since divisional play started in 1969. The NL West did it to the NL East on May 12, 1981, and the AL East did it to the AL West on June 7, 1969.

We’ll see how things turn out tonight.

Chances are it won’t happen again for a long time.

– Rick Green

Triple plays are rare in baseball.

The one turned by the Yankees Friday night against the Orioles was one of the rarest.

It was the 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play.

Actually, it’s the first such play in major league history.

Good luck to the person doing live online scoring to code that one in.

Here’s the clip:

– Rick Green

Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch from Toronto’s J.A. Happ in the bottom of the first inning Sunday, his first at-bat of spring training. (Associated Press photo)

Things just got tougher for the New York Yankees.

Already without Alex Rodriguez until at least the All-Star break, the “Evil Empire” suffered another injury Sunday.

Outfielder Curtis Granderson broke his right forearm. He’s expected to be out for 10 weeks.

The former Erie SeaWolves player was hit by a pitch from the Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ in the first inning.

Barring a trade, it looks like Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera would be competing to fill in for Granderson.

Here’s what Granderson, who mashed 43 home runs last season, told reporters after New York’s 2-0 loss:

“Five pitches in we got a little setback,” said Granderson, who was wearing a molded brace. “Now we rest, recovery, get it back, and get ready to play whenever that day comes. Mentally, you understand this is part of it, but at the same time now there’s not much I can do about it except do the best things I can to not make it worse. Keep myself ready to go.”

Last week, the Yankees were tinkering with their outfield, trying out Granderson in left and moving Brett Gardner to center.

Also last week, the Yankees did pick up a victory. A court determined the team owned the phrase “Evil Empire.”

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

Could Alex Rodriguez miss the season?

The New York Yankees are considering it a possibility.

“Best case scenario, yeah he should be back. Worst case scenario, he won’t be back, or there might be something in between,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman was quoted in the Associated Press.

I used to cheer for Rodriguez to break Barry Bonds’ home-run record.

Now, I’m rooting for A-Rod to simply go away.

If you think Cashmas is being over-the-top with his comments, consider this: The Yankees signed Kevin Youkilis to play third base. They wouldn’t have gone after such a big name if they didn’t think there was a need.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

Think you had it bad this past week with winter Erie?

Try being major league pitcher Carl Pavano.

Pavano reportedly slipped and fell while shoveling snow on his driveway in Vermont, Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com is reporting.

Slipping and falling isn’t so bad. We’ve all done it in the winter.

However, from the category of freak injuries, Rosenthal reported that Pavano ruptured his spleen and will be out up to eight weeks.

Pavano, 37, is a free agent after pitching the past four seasons for the Minnesota Twins.

It’s not all that bad for Pavano. He signed a nearly $40 million contract with the Yankees a few years ago, so I’m sure he has the cash available to pay for his treatment.

Pavano has a career 108-107 record with a 4.39 ERA.

No word on whether Pirates GM Neal Huntington is targeting Pavano later in spring training.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

The Pittsburgh Pirates apparently have found their catcher for next season.

A person with knowledge of the deal says the Bucs have agreed to a $17 million, two-year contract with free-agent catcher Russell Martin, the Associated Press reported.

The deal is pending a physical. The person spoke Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

The agreement was first reported by Fox Sports.

The 29-year-old Martin hit .211 with 21 homers and 53 RBI in 133 games last year with the New York Yankees. He gives the Pirates needed stability at catcher, where veteran Rod Barajas struggled at the plate and behind it. The Pirates threw out just 12 percent (19 of 154) base stealers last season, the worst percentage in baseball.

The signing reunites Martin with former teammate A.J. Burnett. The two played together with the Yankees in 2011.

– from wire reports

Andy Dirks, Avisail Garcia and Omar Infante are former Erie SeaWolves who helped the Detroit Tigers sweep the New York Yankees and advance to the 2012 World Series.

The Tigers clinched the American League pennant with Thursday’s 8-1 victory at Comerica Park. Their best-of-seven sweep of the Yankees means they’ll face the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of next Wednesday’s Fall Classic.

Dirks recorded three of Detroit’s 18 hits in Thursday’s fourth game of the American League Championship Series. Garcia and Infante each totaled two hits, with Garcia driving in one run and Infante scoring two others.

– Mike Copper

The Detroit Tigers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series after holding on for Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees at Comerica Park.

Detroit ace Justin Verlander gave up a solo home run to New York’s Eduardo Nunez in the top of the ninth inning. However, relief pitcher Phil Coke came in to record a save and preserve the victory for the former Erie SeaWolves’ starter.

Other former Erie players who helped the Tigers move within one victory of the World Series were Avisail Garcia, Alex Avila and Omar Infante, who each singled.

Detroit can sweep the ALCS with a Wednesday night win at Comerica.

– Mike Copper

Tigers 3, Yankees 0
NEW YORK — Anibal Sanchez shut down a Yankees lineup minus injured Derek Jeter, and the Detroit Tigers capitalized on a missed call by an umpire to beat New York 3-0 this evening for a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning. But the slumping New York hitters looked lost a day after their captain broke his ankle in the 12th inning of a 6-4 loss.
Making his second postseason start, Sanchez pitched three-hit ball deep into the game to make Tigers manager Jim Leyland’s handling of a bullpen without struggling closer Jose Valverde a lot easier.
The Tigers scored twice in the eighth after second base umpire Jeff Nelson missed a call at second base.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Detroit, with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers.

– Associated Press