Let's do some Wednesday morning notes as we wait for the Hall of Fame announcement at 2 p.m.:
1. MOOSE & MATTINGLY: The Yankees probably won't have any players joining Joe Torre in Cooperstown this summer. While Mike Mussina and Don Mattingly are on the ballot, neither is expected to get in. Mussina, in his first year, seems like a guy who could eventually make it, however his percentage may not be impressive this time around because of the overload of qualified candidates.
Mattingly is up for the 14th time. In 2001, he received 28 percent of the vote. In 2012, he was at 13.2 percent. A player needs 75 percent to be elected and five percent to remain on the eligible list.
Still, even without the Hall, Mattingly does have some good things going on in his career.
2. THE WAITING GAME: The Alex Rodriguez decision is not expected to come down until Friday, at the earliest. Baseball doesn't want to interfere with the Hall of Fame announcement and reaction. If not Friday for A-Rod, Monday seems like a good bet.
As for Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees are in on him, but no decisions are near. The two sides are expected to talk in the next few days, if they haven't already.
Ian O'Connor says the Yankees should do everything in their power to snare Tanaka.
3. WELLS WEIGHS IN: Vernon Wells, who lives in Texas and once signed a letter of intent to play football and baseball for the Longhorns, chimed in on the Red McCombs controversy.
Red McCombs sounds like a racist, my opinion. A black QB can win you the BCS but a black man can't coach your team. #CmonMan
— Vernon Wells (@VernonWells10) January 8, 2014
