"I know I've said it before, but it's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees. With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base."

"Before we could move forward as an organization this off-season, we needed to come to a resolution on the person who would hold the important position of general manager and allow us to make another run at a 27th World Championship. We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years."

If Mussina does retire and makes it to the Hall of Fame, he said he'd be leaning towards going in with a Yankees cap and not an Orioles cap.

"If I could play, obviously I'd play," Jeter said. "But it doesn't really look like it. What it boils down to is that if you can't do it, you can't do it." ...

"I just think there's too much pain there, and I don't think we're expecting it to be a lot better before Sunday," Girardi said.

Cashman said before Friday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park that he plans to discuss his status with the Steinbrenner family shortly after the club's season ends this weekend.

"It'll be soon," Cashman said. "It's not going to be today or tomorrow, but I promise you that you're not going to have to worry about it dragging out."

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera said on Friday that he has been pitching with a right shoulder issue and will consider giving a green light to a minor arthroscopic procedure after the regular season concludes.

Rivera said that results of tests taken in New York on Thursday revealed inflammation and calcification in his pitching shoulder. Surgery is one of two options that could correct the ailment, though Rivera could also alleviate the soreness with a series of continuing cortisone injections.

Sixteen months since throwing his last pitch and then strengthening his surgically repaired right elbow at the team's Tampa facility, Brackman finally takes aim on scaling the organizational ladder and showing why he commanded a $4.55 million guaranteed major league contract that included a $3.35 million signing bonus.

He'll be thrown into the fire immediately, too, as Brackman is scheduled to pitch in the circuit's opening night Saturday for the Waikiki Beachboys against the Honolulu Sharks, whose roster includes Phillies outfield prospects Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown.

... Palmer recently asked Mussina if he's coming back next year. Mussina replied: "I don't think so."

"Of course, that could change," Palmer said.

There is some fear that Rivera could need arthroscopic surgery, although the procedure would be minor and would not be expected to affect him next spring.

“The only way that would happen is if tests indicate that should happen,” General Manager Brian Cashman said of the surgery. “I can’t say at this point.”

Cashman said Rivera expressed a small level of discomfort to team trainers but would not have been sent home if the Yankees were still in the race. He said he expected Rivera to rejoin the team in Boston on Friday and be available to pitch this weekend.

The Trenton Thunder announced Wednesday at a press conference at Mercer County Waterfront Park that the team has extended its Player Development Contract (PDC) with the New York Yankees. The agreement will run through the end of the 2014 season.

“When the Yankees came to Mercer County six years ago, both the Thunder organization and Mercer County promised Brian Cashman and the Yankees that they would never want to leave Trenton,” said Thunder President and Owner Joe Finley. “I think the Yankees commitment to stay at Mercer County Waterfront Park for an additional six years demonstrates that the Thunder and Mercer County have delivered on their promise. We look forward to providing the best setting for player development in all of Minor League Baseball for as long as this great game is being played.”

“Extending our PDC with Trenton was a no-brainer,” said Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. “The Yankees won’t settle for anything less than the best, and the Thunder is by far the best Double-A franchise in baseball.”

Brian Cashman was asked by the Steinbrenners to respond by next week to their offer to return as Yankees general manager, according to people familiar with the situation.

“I always hear the same thing about myself, ‘He doesn’t get in somebody’s face,’” Jeter said. “Well, how do they know? How does anybody know? Unless I was to tell someone or unless he was to tell someone, nobody is going to know. And you don’t do things for the camera.”

“You want highlights?” he said. “I remember all the people—the fans and the dignitaries. The dignitaries wore fedoras, top coats. None of the fans here would have been let in.”

Dynasties in Minor League Baseball are rare these days. Sacramento, however, made a strong case to be considered one of those rarities Tuesday night at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

The River Cats, fresh off capturing their fourth Pacific Coast League title in nine years, won their second consecutive Bricktown Showdown, topping the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 4-1, before 8,213 fans. It marked the third consecutive victory for the PCL over their International League counterparts in the battle for Triple-A supremacy.

"My heart will be up in the Bronx," Sheppard said. "But my body will be in front of the television." ...

"Next year is beckoning," he said. "And I have a two-year contract, so I intend to be back in the new stadium next April. I'm looking forward to that."

The six finalists, one from each division, were the choices of fans voting on MLBPLAYERS.com from Sept. 8-14 for the award, which has been presented annually since 1997 to a player who combines outstanding achievement on the field and extraordinary accomplishment off the field. The award is named for the first executive director of the Major League Players Association. ...

Jeter: In addition to being the captain of the Yankees and a leader in the clubhouse, Jeter has been at the forefront of myriad charitable efforts. For more than 10 years, his "Turn 2" foundation has raised in excess of $7 million to help children across the country. "Turn 2" creates and finances programs that promote the development of sound academic, fitness and leadership habits among children and to caution against the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Hideki Matsui told reporters after the game that once the Yankees are eliminated, he likely would have his knee surgery. But he wants to wait until that point and he hopes to play in another game or two.

“39 years in the game, and I’ve never seen Yankee Stadium. And I’m so happy to be going. I’m going to go out to Monument Park and I’m just going to sit there and take it all in and watch the guys play. I really want to thank the Yankees for inviting me out there. This is special for me.”

"If Brian stays on as GM, that doesn't mean he won't be the No. 1 guy," Hank Steinbrenner said yesterday. "But the fact is, the more opinions the better. I think that's probably the best way. It worked in the 90's, and it can work again." ...

"We're going to have to look at what has been done wrong over the last five years, which I've had one year to try and figure out," Steinbrenner said. "Clearly, a lot of mistakes were made. I'm going to be reviewing the entire organization. We're going to do everything we can to win next year."

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez would like their lockers; Andy Pettitte wants to use some of the outfield padding in his gym at home. Joba Chamberlain requested two seats, one with No. 6 and another with No. 2 on them. Mariano Rivera wants a seat, a pitching rubber and dirt from the mound. Mike Mussina wants the center field flagpole.

“I’m pretty sure I could play the infield as well, at first base,” he said. “I’m going to make sure I prepare myself to play on the field, not just in the batter’s box.” Matsui will have surgery to repair cartilage damage on his left knee once the season is over. The Yankees, he said, have not approached him about a position switch. “Not necessarily. But I used to play first and third. As long as I get a little work in, I should be OK,” he said.

Girardi said he envisioned Matsui being the designated hitter for “a substantial amount of time” next season.

"If I can be there, I shall be there." ...

"Each day I'm getting a little bit better," Sheppard said. "Each day from January until now there has been an improvement in my weight, in my stamina, and in my outlook."

The hard part now is staying home from work. "Mentally, emotionally, intellectually, I'm ready," he said. "But the doctor says whether I'm deficient is in stamina."

Not surprisingly, Abbott, who retired in 1999 with an 87-108 record and a 4.25 earned run average for his career, is trying to help other disabled people these days. Neil Romano, the assistant secretary of labor, contacted Abbott and spoke about the need for the disabled to get job opportunities. Abbott agreed to work with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

"He had an innings limit this year that he didn't meet," general manager Brian Cashman said. "Would he exceed that innings limit next year? You wouldn't want to do that, as simple as that." ...

"If someone adds a significant amount of innings from the previous year (to get to) an area where they've never been, history says that those guys either have breakdowns or significant underperformance."

Johnny Damon today was named the New York Yankees’ recipient of the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award. He is one of 30 Major League Club nominees for the national 2008 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines outstanding skills on the baseball field with devoted work in the community.

The Roberto Clemente Award recognizes those players who best represent the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their teams. The award is named for Clemente, a 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who died on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This award perpetuates Clemente’s legacy and character by recognizing current-day players who truly understand the value of helping others.

Fans are encouraged to participate in the selection of the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award. From September 3 through October 5, 2008, fans can log on to www.chevy.com/clemente and vote for one of the 30 club nominees.

Damon, 34, is a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs designed to ease the burdens of severely injured servicemen, servicewomen and their families by smoothing the transition back to civilian life. Rallying as many teammates as possible to join him, Damon is a regular visitor to many veterans hospitals, including Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C., and the Tampa VA Hospital, where veterans with traumatic brain injuries are brought for long-term rehabilitation.

Damon also serves as the Yankees’ Home Run Captain for the Children’s Health Fund, which brings quality health care to the nation’s most medically disadvantaged children in rural and urban areas. He donates money to the organization for each home run the Yankees hit as a team in both the regular season and postseason.

In 2006, he established the Johnny Damon Foundation, which assists local and national programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for disadvantaged and at-risk children. He hosts the annual Johnny Damon Celebrity Golf Classic, along with the “Johnny Jam” reception, which includes live musical performances, comedy routines and live and silent auctions that raise money for Orlando, Fla., based charities.

During this past offseason, Johnny and his wife, Michelle, were goodwill ambassadors in a U.S. State Department sponsored trip around the world. While visiting Thailand, his mother’s native country, Johnny and his family shared in a luncheon for more than 100 orphans at the Rajvithi Home for Girls. Damon met with children from the International School of Bangkok, instructing them on the game of baseball while also encouraging them to stay in school and stressing the importance of education.

Damon was honored with the Joan Payson Memorial Award for Community Service from the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in January 2008. His community efforts have also included visits to young cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, as well as supporting the St. Joseph’s School for the Blind with appearances and fundraising. He is also a special contributor to Tanglewood Acres, a Rockland County, N.Y., center supporting children and adults suffering from mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

The fan vote winner will be tallied as one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. Participating fans automatically will be registered for a chance to win a trip to Game Three of the 2008 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be announced.