7 PRNewswire Oxford Consulting Group Inc

Burnett.There is also talk of the Yankees getting Angels' starting pitcher John Lackey off the free agent market.But before Cashman makes any of these moves, he has to take care of one of his own first.The Yankees must bring back Andy Pettitte for 2010 if Pettitte puts off retirement once again.In 2009, the rotation raised a lot of questions along with unfortunate injuries to its back end, so Pettitte's role increased after he was originally going to be the No. 4 or 5 pitcher on the staff.Because of Chien-Ming Wang'smultiple injuries, Joba Chamberlain's inconsistency, and Phil Hughes' move to the setup role, Pettitte was moved into the No. 3 role.Before the season even started, Pettitte's return to the Yankees in 2009 was uncertain because Cashman wasn't sure if he wanted to bring Pettitte back for another season after a nagging shoulder injury, which caused Pettitte to struggle in the second half.Pettitte didn't re-sign with the Yankees until Jan. 26, months after the Yankees had already made investments into Sabathia and Burnett for the front end of the rotation. And his contract went from $16 million in 2008 to just $5.5 million, with incentives, in 2009.Thankfully, Cashman did re-sign Pettitte, because he stayed healthy all season, went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA, and pitched 194 innings with 148 strikeouts.More importantly, Pettitte went 4-0 in the 2009 playoffs, including 2-0 in the World Series, and won every clinch game for the Yankees.His 30 innings in the playoffs were something money wasn't going to get in the free agent market; Pettitte's experience was so crucial to the Yankees championship run of 2009.Now, Cashman will not be as hesitant to re-sign Pettitte, because he knows how valuable Pettitte is to the rotation.Pettitte's not a dominant pitcher like Halladay or Lackey, but any Yankee fan would send Pettitte to the mound in a big playoff game, against any top pitcher in the league, and come out on top.So before Cashman decides to go after another starter outside of the organization, he must bring Pettitte back first.And with a raise, too. Pettitte's 14 wins in the regular season were very important, but not as important as the four playoff wins.Pettitte is now the all-time most winning pitcher in the playoffs with 18 career wins, surpassing John Smoltz this past October.Numbers like that should bump him up from his $5.5 million base salary. (Because of his incentives, Pettitte ended up with roughly $10.5 million in 2009.)Now, I am all for bringing Halladay and/or Lackey to New York, because they would make fine additions to a Yankee rotation that could use another strong arm.

But I am firmly behind bringing Pettitte back first.He had one of the most important jobs in 2009, easily closing out the playoff series in pressure-packed games.Pettitte should be Cashman's No. 1 priority when it comes to the rotation.Take care of Pettitte first, because he has earned it Then go after those other guys.. Purchase Expands Firm's Expertise in IT Risk Management and SecurityCOLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ Oxford Consulting Group, Inc., aleading provider of information technology (IT) consulting services to theGlobal 2000, announced today that it has purchased assets from ConformixTechnologies, Inc., a firm specializing in information security and IT riskmanagement.With the Conformix purchase, Oxford will launch a consultingpractice focused on providing these services to new and existing clientsnationally."IT risk management and information security are increasingly among thetop concerns for today's Chief Information Officer (CIO)," said MichelleAbreu, Chairman and President, Oxford Consulting Group."With the Conformix asset acquisition, Oxford is positioned to deliverindustry-recognized expertise in this critical business area.Executives needto know their data is safe and now our customers can feel confident knowingthat we are leaders in the industry," said Abreu."Oxford Consulting is a great fit for our expertise," said Rob Burns, ITRisk Management Director, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and formerprincipal at Conformix."We know that designing and implementing an IT risk management program isa complex but crucial project facing Oxford's customers.We also know thatour new Information Security and IT Risk Management practice offer state-of-the-art, specialized solutions for them.Being able to bring these customerspeace of mind knowing their business applications are protected and theirconfidential data are secured is exciting for us," said Burns.About Oxford Consulting Group, Inc.Oxford Consulting Group, Inc. is a leading information technologyconsulting firm serving clients throughout the United States. With more than120 consultants nationwide, the organization is committed to providingholistic solutions to its clients.

By focusing on a core set of products andservices, Oxford is strategically-positioned to partner with companies for thelong term.Oxford assists its clients in developing sound business strategiesthat provide flexibility and adaptability.This philosophy is the cornerstoneof all Oxford's business-value based solutions.For more information aboutOxford Consulting Group, telephone 1 866 595 6700, or visit the OxfordConsulting Web site at: http:// .SOURCEOxford Consulting Group, Inc.Michelle Abreu, Chairman & President, Oxford Consulting Group, Inc.,1-614-310-2700, . Theres only one non-BCS conference left to spotlight in the Bowl Projection Series, and thats the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt is like the red-headed step-child of the FBS; everyone beats up on them. They are so maligned that they only have one bowl bid, and any others they get almost always come by default instead of choice. The Trojans have finished first or second in the Sun Belt five times since joining the conference in 2004.

They went undefeated in the league this year, edging out Middle Tennessee State (who had the same overall record as Troy). The Sun Belt has four eligible teams but only that one automatic bid to the New Orleans Bowl, which is obligated to take the champion They do have three contingency plans (the St. The four Sun Belt Teams who could go bowling are: Troy (9-3, League Champion)Middle Tennessee State (9-3)Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6)Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)Again, Troy is automatically headed to the New Orleans Bowl and none of the three usual contingencies are open. But as youll see in the next slide, that wont matter. Projected Bowl selections: No 1: New Orleans BowlTroy (locked in)No.