Goodbye … for now, anyway
Since April, this blog has been a very interesting experience for me. At first, I had no idea what to expect, whether people would read it or leave comments, yet here we are less than nine months later, and Mark it Down has received more than 164,000 comments.
But all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, Mark it Down will be closing up shop at the end of this month.
While that may come as bad news to many of you, there is good news as well. I am leaving MLB.com, having accepted a job at the Daily News to be the newspaper’s Yankees beat writer.
I have enjoyed my time at MLB.com more than you can possibly imagine. I have made friends here who will be a part of my life for years to come. Thankfully, since I’ll still be covering the Yankees, I’ll be able to see them just as much at the ballpark.
As for you good folks out in Cyberland, the Daily News’ web site will feature a new Yankees blog written by me, so all you have to do to is follow me there. My new blog will debut in mid-January, so keep an eye out for it.
Of course, there are still tons of terrific blogs here at MLBlogs.com for you to visit, including Ian Browne’s Brownie Points, Jason’s Boogie Down Bronx blog, Jeff’s BoSox Banter blog and many others.
I hope you all have enjoyed this place as much as I have. For the regulars, you’ve made Mark it Down the baseball community that it has become, and I hope you follow me over to the Daily News blog next month.
Happy holidays to everybody!
-Mark
Mark it Down 
I think we will all miss you on this apot, Mark, but you will likely see alll of us on your new blog.
You might suggest the Daily News boost up its server capacity. Sam Borden’s blog took a long time to load when it had 9 comments. No telling what will happen with 900 comments.
Best wishes on the move, Mark.
You brought us all together to make this a fun place Thanks for that,
So, you’ll be missed but more to the point, how does one apply for your old job at MLB.com?
I’m shocked. When I began to post some comments in this blog some months ago, I never imagined how important this site would be for me. Thanks to this site, I’ve met a lot of people. Many of them are now my friends. That’s how I feel it. Even without meting anybody in person, I really feel like all the friends I’ve done over here are now a VERY important part of my life. Really. I only hope we’ll be in touch by the Daily News’ Blog. And remember, Mark, Paul’s advice about boosting up its server capacity. Because you will recieve more than 1,500 comments per week.
Good luck on your new job, Mark. We’ll get in touch
Mark, so does this mean we will hear you every game in the 5th inning with John and Suzyn?
One sportswriter for my local paper covered the Phils for 19 years. I’ve never respected him and think he is the worst sportswriter I’ve ever read. One year I had a bet that I could find ten major mistakes (not typos) in his columns from the start of ST to the All-Star Game. My friend called off the bet and paid me at the end of April when I already had found eight.
Anyway, this guy has a HOF vote and is voting for McGwire. I argue against that. To know where this guy comes from, he also has written in Pete Rose’s name even though Rose was not allowed to even be on the ballot due to his suspension.
If you ever would read his baseball columns, he’s another Joe Cowley. Clueless. Sensitive too, since I know another writer for the paper who told me so. This other writer says that this clueless writer can’t stand me because I pick apart his columns (there’s a lot to pick apart, trust me! The guy probably never opened a Baseball Encyclopedia). Sorry, I tell the truth and it hurts. Born in the Boston area, covered the Phils for 19 years. Still clueless. I call him Bozo because his last name begins with BO… anyway, I pointed out all his errors to a lot of people, and now they see him for the ******* he is.
Anyway, in Yankee news, I read today where Hillenbrand might come down to a one-year deal if it is the right deal. Originally he wanted a 3-year deal, so if Cashman still wants him, waiting him out is proving to be a Cashman victory.
Best of luck in your new endeavor, Mark. I hope to be able to come onto your blog next month.
We MUST, Mike.
And speaking of 1B, now, it is official. Cuban prospect, Juan Miranda, is now a Yankee, with a Major League contract. Here is the link
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061222&content_id=1766707&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
Dontrelle Willis was catched when he urinated on the street at South Beach. He was arrested. Thank God he’ll never be a Yankee
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061222&content_id=1766585&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Yes, I heard about D-Train early this morning.
This saddened my day 😦
Nothing better change.
lol Vince, that sounded like you said that with concrete shoes nearby. 🙂
Congratulations on your new job, Mark. Wishing you much success and happiness. Its even nicer that your new job will still allow us to post on a blog that is yours. I’ve enjoyed being part of this blog from the beginning and there is no reason this little blog community can’t adapt and transfer over to your new blog.
Hey, do you get Sam’s desk/office? 🙂
Thanks folks. I believe that the Daily News is relaunching its web site on Jan. 1, so hopefully the blog software will be more friendly.
See you on the other side! Happy holidays and happy new year!
Looks like Foulke is going to Cleveland.
Surprised Miranda is going to start with Tampa. Early reports had him starting at Trenton. Hmmm…If he is at Tampa, Ehlers at Trenton, you have to wonder who is at Scranton—Eric Duncan…and what of the Phelps/Phillips loser? This will be interesting.
congrats on the new gig.
Take care Mark! Its been a good year. I’ll see you at the daily news blog in January!
Cecil Travis, SS for Washington in the late 1930s, died at age 93. He had a .314 career batting average. His career came to a halt due to WWII service (missed all of 1942, 1943 and 1944 and all but 15 games of 1945). He wasn’t the same when he came back.
Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/travice01.shtml
Anybody notice on prosportsdaily.com hillenbrand is now open to one year deals? Apparently the yankees are very interested in him again.
I think they should just give Miranda, Phelps and Phillips a shot. Otherwise, they should sign a good defensive guy like Loretta or Mientkievich. I like the idea of signing Mientkievich because it allows for a platoon to be created.
Congrats Mark, the Daily News is a much better paper for your presence.
I think there is no need for Hillenbrand. If we’re going to sign another 1B, I’d prefer Mientkyqrsvtrélpnmxágjkñwtghyú
I do not see the need to sign a 1B, most certainly not Hillenbrand.
Yes, Paul … I’ll be doing the 5th inning on radio.
Congratulations, Mark!
I will definitely crash your new blog, once it is up and running, and look forward to your Daily News 5ths. I will miss the convenient link from Yankees.com though. Do you have any idea who your replacement is yet?
Yay the grossly incompetent Packers beat the even more grossly incompetent Vikings in grossly incompetent fashion. It’s insane they have a shot at the playoffs. Couldn’t watch the game, though…stupid NFL Network. Instead I went to a party and ended up spending the night because the roads were so icy they were impossible to drive on.
I’m leaving for Chicago tomorrow morning, so Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all of you and I’ll see you either back on here or on Mark’s new Daily News blog when it appears!
Unnamed sources report that in his negotiations with the NY Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman, among other benefits and perks, Mark Feinsand demanded 4 assistants including a personal assistant, a personal massage therapist, a personal physical therapist, and a 4th assistant to be named later.
It was thought that a translator was not needed, other than for the games in Texas, so the duties of the fourth toady will be determined later.
Negotiations were tough but in the end Mr. Feinsand was quoted as saying, “I have more rapid lunatic fans than any other reporter on MLB.com and you will have more hits on your website than the mob has had in New Jersey history.”
What is clear at the end of the deal is that Mark’s fans have brought him another huge payday.
Can I have your old job, Mark?
Well, my least favorite baseball writer did it again. I wrote about him yesterday, and this writer once again messes up. I swear the guy never opens a Baseball Encyclopedia or goes to http://www.baseballreference.com or checks or researches his facts.
In a column today on Hall of Famers, he says that Rogers Hornsby’s career batting average was .363. It was actually .358.
In the same column, he states that Harmon Killebrew hit 563 home runs. It was 573.
Would it really kill this guy to spend five minutes looking up his statistics and verifying them? It’s been like this for two decades.
It’s incredible how some sports writers are so ignorants in themes they’re supposed to be experts.
We’ve got one here in México, “expert” in boxing, who once wrote that the best fighter EVER was Mike Tyson. Not only between heavyweights, but ALL boxers of ALL times. He said this aberration about three years ago. I still have some stomach spasms because of the five hours of laughing
I wonder what that makes Buster Douglas…
Yeah, Mike. So James “Buster” Douglas should be the best of the whole UNIVERSE. And that includes all the planet systems undiscovered
Hi guys… Kat here, for those of you who don’t know I switched my email. Congratulations Mark!! I am sad to see “Mark It Down” go, but I am excited for your new venture and your new blog! Thanks for the community you have created here. Have a great Holiday!
In that infamous column he wrote that Mike Tyson could win by way of knock out over Alí in just three rounds.
Hi Kat!!!!! How are you. It’s been a long time without “talking” to you. And remember, my Greek Goddess, we’ll be following Mark to his NY Daily News Blog
I suppose some MLB.com reporter will take Mark’s place. So, a new blog will be over here. We can keep in touch in it, waiting for Mark’s new blog, which will be in the NY Daily News site hopefully in mid January
I won’t be over here until next Tuesday, 26th. So, to each and everyone (of course except the troll)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!
Have a good one Jorge, Merry Christmas.
“The Rangers acquired talented right-hander Brandon McCarthy from the White Sox on Saturday for three young pitchers — John Danks, Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner.”
Uhh, why did freddy garcia go if it wasn’t to make space for McCarthy? I am so confused now. I can almost sense this deal is a terrible one for the whitesox.
Yeah, I’m surprised at that one.
Looking at other news, Griffey broke his hand yesterday,
and now Juan Rivera has a broken leg.
From Pete Abraham’s blog:
Peter Abraham said…
In fact, Pittsburgh is now looking into Aubrey Huff, which indicates they don’t think they are getting LaRoche. The three-way trade seems dead.
Sorry to see this blog go, but at least we’ll be able to follow you over to the Daily News.
Mike, that is good news if the 3-way deal is dead. I really believe the Yankees would be making a huge mistake by trading Melky. I really don’t think the bullpen needs that much help right now as long as the current guys keep up the same form they had this past year.
By the way, anybody notice in the MLB article about Proctor: his holiday wish is to not get traded. hahahaha. Good one. I can agree with that.
To make this long post even longer, Happy Christmas to all.
My comment on Griffey:
Seems like this guy just can’t catch a break. A few years ago, he was considered a lock to eventually get the all-time HR record, and suddenly he couldn’t stay on the field. You’ve really got to feel for the guy. This past season was really the first time since Seattle that he stayed on the field for any significant part of the season, and now he has this happen in the off-season. I hope it’s nothing too severe and that he is able to come back next year and have a good year.
Mark, congrats on the prime time position! What a great Christmas present for you!
And Merry Christmas to everyone here in Yankeeland!
Jeff
http://www.bosoxbanter.mlblogs.com
By the way, I was wondering if the person who fills Mark’s position will continue this blog, only under a different title, of course.
Good luck and congrats to Mr. Feinsand, one of the truly great people I’ve ever met in journalism. Mark’s work speaks for itself. But I’ve been lucky enough to know the man, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better guy. Mark, you’re the man. Thanks for making the job more fun, especially since I started the Sox beat in ’02. I know there were long days made easier by the fact that I knew you were working every bit as hard and facing similar challenges with the Yankees beat. Best of luck,
Ian Browne.
Whether or not the next Yankees beatwriter does a blog would be up to that individual. MLB.com doesn’t mandate that we do blogs. I know Mark took the initiative to start his up, and I had been thinking about pitching one for a while, and once Mark got his rolling, that inspired me to get mine going.
Christmas Eve greetings to all who celebrate the day.
In the Christmas spirit of giving I bring to you a few links.
The first is of a Yahoo story of Ray Negron, advisor to George Steinbrenner, and the book he wrote based on children facing cancer.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-steel122006&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
The second link is of the site for the book, “The Boy of Steel.”
http://www.theboyofsteel.com
Ray Negron was a teenaged boy 30 years ago spraying graffiti on the wall of Yankee Stadium, stopped by the hand of George Steinbrenner. He became a batboy during the years of the Bronx Zoo Yankees with Billy Martin, Reggie, Thurman.
The Negron story is interesting and the tale of Robbie Cano hitting a home run after he told a boy he would try is compelling.
Enjoy.
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it.
Looks like the beer in Milwaukee may be cheap, but they overpay for “Soup.”
Merry Christmas!
Nice to see the Giants helping my Cowboys yesterday, way to go Giants…Gees!!!
1hr, 4min to Game Time!! Come on ‘Boys…..however….Dallas has made 24 playoff appearances since the merger, most ever by an NFC team, congratulations guys!!!!
Anybody see the rumors on mlbtraderumors.com that johnson is being shopped, specifically back to the d backs. Allegedly the yankees have no interest in paying any of his salary in a trade, so I was thinking they may continue the minor league trend and trade johnson to the d backs in exchange for none of his salary and the catcher that they have, Montero. He is 4th in their system, considered a good prospect and is a catcher. The top three prospects are all center fielders which we definitely have no place for right now, but a young high prospect on a deep farm system may be a steal in exhange for clearing 16 million and finally obtaining a catcher of the future for a 43 year old.
For some odd reason a very reliable site known as “zips” predicted johnson would have a 3.71 era on the yankees if he stayed next season. I still would go for the prospect(s)
The rotation would still have five men in wang, pettitte, mussina, pavano and igawa. When pavano becomes injured, Sanchez can come up, karstens or rasner can also make the team.
i hope to god this johnson trade rumor is true. i would love nothing more than to see he and sheffield leave town in the same offseason.
Happy holidays, friends, and best wishes to you and yours. May we all have peace in our hearts, in our lives, and in the world.
Same to you Austin and to everyone!!!
Regarding RJ and Arizona…
Here are some top prospects in Arizona’s system. Rankings from the top 100 of TopProspectAlert.com. Age in Parens.
#11 Justin Upton (19) OF
Low A in 2006 .263-12-66
#19 Carlos Gonzalez (21) OF High A .300-21-94;
AA .213-2-5 in 18 games.
#23 Chris B. Young (23) OF AA .276-21-77;
CAME UP TO MAJORS
.243-2-10 in 30 games
#43 Micah Owings (24) P
AA 6-2, 2.91; AAA 10-0, 3.70
#80 Miguel Montero (23) AA .270-10-46; AAA .321-7-29.
CAME UP TO MAJORS
six games. .250-0-3
#91 Alberto Callaspo 2B
AAA .337-7-68
CAME UP TO MAJORS
23 games .238-0-6
Thanks Vince. Here is more.
Owings is a 6’5″ RHP. You read his record right. A combined 16-2, 3.33 in AA/AAA.
I could see a couple of deals here. RJ for one or two OF, the C and/or Owings could be one. Miguel Montero could compete IMMEDIATELY for the backup Catcher job. I’d rather groom him RIGHT NOW to take over for Jorge in 2008 or 2009 than have Nieves/Chavez.
As for the three OF, all CF—you might wonder–Upton and Gonzalez are too young–yet. If the Yanks got one of them in the deal, Melky goes nowhere and you may have a future OF of Melky-??-Tabata.
But…and it is a big BUT…if they got Young, then would they deem Melky tradeable? (bear with me, it’s not that I want Melky to go–I am just making a point)…If Young, do they then do Melky for Gonzalez? You would have to wonder.
Not only that, could dealing RJ for prospects (a good move in its OWN right) be the signal that space is being cleared for Clemens? I didn’t advocate Roger before, but if you clear away RJ, THEN I would be for it.
If RJ is dealt for even more prospects, it could be just another domino falling. The first two fell with Sheffield and Wright.
Guys sorry to ruin the fun but RJ is going nowhere.
Alex, I don’t exactly think RJ is besotten with NY, and to go back home to Arizona, I think he would waive his no-trade.
Would I trade him and his salary for prospects? Yes. Especially if Montero is involved. I am reading different names. Rumors include Tracy, Byrnes. (again raising the question…if Byrnes comes, Melky then goes for Gonzalez).
Hey, I’d dump the $16 mil if AZ wants him. Getting a catcher of the future? Go for it? Or a prospect who went 16-2? Go for it. Depends on who they get, but dumping a fading 43 (44 next Sept.) year old pitcher coming off of a 5.00 ERA and back surgery? Go for it.
Merry Christmas everybody.
With these talks about trading Johnson, could it be possible that Cashman is prepping for a run at Zito?
No. Maybe Clemens, not Zito.
With the arms they have for the future, it would be a short term deal.
Remember the $1.40:$1 ratio. Under the revenue sharing and the way the Yanks are right now, every dollar they spend on a free agent is like $1.40.
I was thinking the same thing about clemens, and my initial thought was zito until i remembered the same thing you mentioned Mike.
I also went the route of a deal making melky expendable…Personally I would go the catcher route, to me, as far as prospects go, that is the most pressing…Yes more young starters would be nice but we have virtually two untouchable starters ready possibly before the end of THIS season, with more on the way…at least for now we have enough outfielders, third base, shortstop and second base are all locked up and we have about 17 guys competing for first base, one of which is a prospect (miranda). That leaves catcher, where we have a bunch of no names and old guys, it is the one spot where we need a concrete name and then to run with it.
Ok I take back what I said about Johnson. After reading some articles it seems like it probably will happen, San Diego looks like a likely landing spot…Scott Linbrink for Johnson, sounds like a deal to me.
Hi everybody. I hope you had a great time, so as your families.
I’m crossing my fingers, but I think AZ won’t give us their top prospects. If they trade Miguel Montero and Micah Owings for Randy Johnson, it would be the PERFECT trade for us. But I think Brian Cashman should accept just one of those two top prospects, for making the trade easy. I’d be happy if we get ONE of them and get rid of RJ, his 16 millions, his 43 years and his injured back
Here is the New York Daily News article about the trade we are all dreaming about:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/483258p-406772c.html
sounds like a very intriguing trade idea to me…from what i’ve read though Cashman has been requesting a package of pitching prospects, nothing about Montero or any outfielders. Apparently the D-backs aren’t thrilled with that, so perhaps in the coming days we’ll see something more do-able unfold with SD or SF. I definitely wouldn’t have a problem with unloading Johnson.
About Zito, out of all the places I’ve read about this trade idea, SI are the only ones who entertained the possibility of Zito being a replacement, so on that note, unless the person/people who leaked the info have some deal with SI where they give them more info, I highly doubt we should give that idea any serious consideration. Even with Johnson out, i doubt they’ll make a run at Zito.
Hope everyone had a nice holiday.
I have to say that gets us rid of one headache if Cashman can pull it off. I really wouldn’t care what we got, whether pitching prospects, a lefty releiver, a first baseman, it wouldn’t matter to me. I think it would be worth dumping the $16 million we would have to pay him. There has been some speculation that the Yanks would then go after Zito. What do people think about this?
I don’t think we’ll go for Zito if we trade RJ. We still have two lefties in the starting rotation (Pettitte and Igawa) and with Wang, Mussina and Pavano, we’ve got a good rotation. The only question mark is the one whose hobby is getting injured. But we have many young arms ready for the opportunity. So, we don’t need to get a pitcher for more than 70 million. I would prefer an eventually mid season Clemens, if the kids couldn’t make it, than Zito.
BTW, when is Igawa deal going to be sealed? I read he went to a basketball game wearing a Yankees jacket. But, when will he sign his contract?
They have until Thursday to finalize the deal with Igawa. I have no idea what they’re waiting for.
Exactly, Alejandro. If they seem to have reached an agreement, what are they waiting for? We don’t need to make a circus like Red Flops-Matsuzaka.
Maybe Tellem’s holding him out for a guaranteed bag of sunflower seeds per game. As they approach the deadline, Cashman may budge.
Maybe they want a couple of geishas. Hope Cashman can hire Jénnifer López and Beyonce Knowles
Reports have indicated that Igawa doesn’t want either of them, he’d rather stick with the sunflower seeds.
Gotta run and be back later, but it is interesting the arguments I’m having on Pete’s blog.
To make a long story short, I think anyone who thinks that RJ will post 200 IP and 15 wins again is delusional. Do I think a kid has a chance to have a better record this year than Randy would? Yes. Very possible.
Does this mean Rasner is better than Randy? No. Definitely not. But given age and fading skills, would you rather have in 2007 a youngster who may go 11-7, 4.63
or a fading 43 (44 next Sept.) over-the-hill veteran who goes 9-13, 5.33?
Unfortunately, most people I’ve been arguing with still think Randy will be a 15 win pitcher next year with 185-200 IP. I don’t see it, and based on what I saw in 2006 (5.00 ERA, eight and nine hitters hitting him hard) a further decline and a 9-13 or 11-14 record is very probable.
Later!
Something to consider. Randy Johnson against other AL East teams had a 7.77 ERA and a 6-4 record over 13 game starts. Barry Zito struggled against the AL East, especially the Yankees, but he has a 5.21 ERA and a 5-3 record over 10 game starts. If you take out the Yankees, he has a 4.27 ERA and a 4-1 record. Now, check out the numbers against the Red Sox this last season.
Randy Johnson – 7.17 ERA and a 2-1 record.
Mike Mussina – 4.77 ERA and a 2-0 record.
Chien Ming Wang – 5.28 ERA and a 2-2 record.
Barry Zito – 5.51 ERA and a 2-1 record.
I’m not pushing any argument, I just wanted to show everyone what the numbers were. Personally, I don’t care for Zito.
I have a question.. is all this Johnson trade talk worth it – if as has been argued, it makes Melky apparently that much more expendable as a result?
And what does it matter what players do against just the Red Sox? They’re not the only team out there. If a player happens to not do well against the Red Sox but does against the rest of our division rivals and the rest of the teams in the majors does it make up for his lack of performance against the Red Sox? Not applying this to Randy or any player in particular, just throwing the question out there. Because i’ve noticed that some yankee fans tend to partially measure a players worth against how they do against the Red Sox, which is interesting.
Ummm, I pointed out their records against the AL East. Isn’t that synonymous with division rivals?
And how does the Randy Johnson trade make Melky expendable? I haven’t even heard him mentioned in the trade talks.
To clarify, I think the Randy trade may actually take the pressure of a Melky trade. The whole Pirates and Braves thing seems to have fallen through, and trading Randy may land us a decent lefty releiver. With that, there’s no real reason to trade Melky.
I also think that its important how a player does against the Red Sox. Sure there are other teams, and they have to be competitive, but most importantly we need players who won’t crumble against the Red Sox. We may only see them 19 games in a season, but if you think about it, its those games that typically make the difference. We need players who can win in those games because at the end of the day, were not worried about the Orioles chomping at our heels, and were definetely not worried about the Twins winning their division, we need to be concerned with our biggest rival. In 2005 our division title came down to a three game series with the Red Sox, you’re gonna tell me that you didn’t care how well our pitchers would do against them? I can assure you that at that point you weren’t too concerned about how they pitched against the Devil Rays.
Hillenbrand went to Angels on a 1-year deal.
It was a general question for everyone on the blog. I’ve wanted to ask it for a while about the whole vs the Red Sox thing I’ve noticed with a lot of yankee fans. I’ve noticed it on other blogs too – it wasn’t a dig at anyone at all. Just an observation and a question based on something Id wondered about. It really was a genuine question.
Its some of the writers who have mentioned Melky. Not anyone on this blog.
Keith Foulke could sign with Cleveland in a day or two
As Jorge said before, what are the Yanks waiting for with the Igawa announcement?
Yeah, Mike. I tought we were going to act different than the Flops, with that circus-show they made with Matsuzaka. Why wait for the last day, when it seemed they’ve reached an agreement?
This is from the story of 12/20 announcing that an agreement was close.
“Igawa is scheduled to fly back to Japan on Saturday, and the Yankees aren’t expected to make a formal introduction with a news conference until January”
I’m sure they don’t want to have the press conference without Igawa being there, so they’re waiting until he returns from Japan.
They don’t need the press conference, but how about an OFFICIAL release or announcement on the SIGNING?
The deadline for the signing is the 28th. Just a short note to let us know that the deal is, in fact, done?
There are two good back up catchers still available. Todd Greene (35), .252 BA and .991 fielding percentage. And Todd Pratt (39), .251 BA and .993 FP. I’d prefer any of them rather than Nieves or Chávez.
And about 1B, if we’re going to sign one more, thinking Miranda will still be in the Minors maybe for 2 more years, there is one good FA 1B available, besides Eye-Chart. I’m talking about Darin Erstad (32), .286 BA and .995 FP. While Mientwfgrsvcbélñkmrývbúsfgqrsáklg (32) has a .270 BA and .996 FP.
Agree, Mike. That’s the point, Andy. I remember they said that the press conference would be in January. But the question is this: Is the deal done?
Erstad worries me with his back problems.
The guy is a gamer, but…
I’m not a proponent of getting Clemens, but I would rather have him than Randy. If the plan is to trade Randy for prospects and then sign Clemens for one year, then I wouldn’t have too much trouble with it.—but no 1/2 years, Roger–a FULL season.
…and of course, the team getting Randy must take his whole salary so that the Yanks take that money they won’t be paying Randy and give it to Roger. No spending extra cash.
There is a lot of difference between what Clemens could do next season and what Randy will do next season. I still like the idea of having the Rocket for 1/2 year. Of course, I would prefer the whole season, but, if he just want to throw after thje All Star Break, that’s the ONLY privilege I would give to him.
Okay, how about this for a reason? The Yankees have to pay the Hanshin Tigers the posting fee within 5 business days after completing the contract. Waiting until the last minute means the $26 million stays in the Yankees’ account as long as possible. What’s the daily interest on $26 million?
Good point, Andy.
So if they announce it tomorrow (the 27th), the payment is actually in 2007 (Jan. 1st). Ok, I can see that.
from the looks of the espn piece about the diamondbacks interest in the big eunuch, it looks as though cashman’s asking price is too high. drag. i was really hoping not to have to endure another season of randy in pinstripes.
Actually, it’s even later. It’s 5 business days, so that would make it Jan. 4th because of the holiday.
The asking price may be too high as of now. But, if AZ gets desperate they may crack and do the deal. Either that or Cashman could come down on his asking price in order to rid the yankees of the 16 million..there is a lot of off season left.
-Ben
Kat here, with my new email addy… I cannot even tell you how happy I would be if RJ got traded. I don’t care who would pitch in his place for a year, that slime brought our classy yankees down. I read the article Jorge posted and I can’t believe I forgot about that “love child” scandal. ****.
I saw a trivia question the other day, and I will put it in my column at the end of January.
On July 18 (I think it was the 18th)…Melky Cabrera became the 2nd youngest Yankee to win a game with a walk-off HR. Who’s the youngest?
My two guesses are mantle or Andy Fox. I lean towards Mantle.
On April 23, 1953, Mickey Mantle hit a 3-run HR off of Boston’s Ellis Kinder to win the game. The 420 ft. shot into the RCF bleachers was Mickey’s 2nd HR of 1953 and 38th of his career. Mickey was 21 yr. 6 mo. 3 days.
Mickey’s FIRST Hr of 1953 came on April 17. It was the famous “tape-measure” Hr at Washington which was said to go 565 ft.
Mickey hit 21 HR in 1953.
Derek Jeter?
Oops, too late. Didn’t Jeter hit one in his call-up in ’95?
Derek had no HR in 1995.
Actually, I think it was a late-inning game-winner, but not a walk-off.
He had 10 in 1996, but I don’t know when he hit his first WALK OFF HR. Melky was 21 years, 11 mo. 7 days when he hit his, so Derek most likely was at least 22 when he did it (his 22nd b/day was June 26, 1996).
Looked it up. Derek’s 1st walkoff HR wasn’t in the regular season.
It was Game 4 of the 2001 WS.
Yeah, I think I remember that his walk-off in the 2001 Series was his first ever.
His only one in the regular season came on April 5, 2005 off of Keith Foulke of Boston.
Later…
Hey everyone, hope those of you wh celebrate it all had a great Christmas; I just got back from Chicago and Milwaukee earlier today after plenty of time with family and being laden with Yankees-related gift items.
Only good news in Yankee-land:
Randy might be traded! Yay!
Melky might not be traded! Yay!
Shea Hillenbrand won’t be signed! Yay!
All wonderful developments. RJ gone would be the perfect Christmas present…or perhaps birthday present, mine is only about a week away. Such lovely holiday cheer.
BTW Paul that was a great story you posted a few days ago about Ray Negron. I’ll share that with a few other people.
For everyone wondering why the Yankees aren’t annoouncing the Igawa signing there are two reasons for that. 1. They’ve announced they are still figuring out how to spread out the 20 million. and more importantly and probably the real reason, which they wouldn’t announce is that the posting bid is due within 5 days of signing the contract. With the new year coming up perhaps the Yanks want the money to show up in 2007, I believe that if they show a higher “loss” in revenue they pay less to MLB and deifnately the government in taxes.
Mantle….I knew it. I knew he was what, 19 when he started, it was an educated guess….I only know he was young because i remember in 96 when andruw jones passed him as the youngest player ever to hit a ws homerun when he hit two in game 1 against us in a 12-1 slaughter.
Anyway, I remember jeter’s first being in the 2001 ws too. I get excited when I know trivia lol.
“When the Oakland A’s have scored four or more runs for Zito, he is an astounding 85-4, for a .955 winning percentage.”
This is from an article on the sports illustrated website. You gotta wonder if having the Yankee run support will get Zito 20+ wins in a season. I’m still not sold on Zito, but if the Yankees trade Johnson we’re gonna have to rely heavily on a Japanese import whose never thrown in the majors, a man who hasn’t thrown in the majors for over a year, and a Yankee favorite with a history of elbow trouble. It would be nice to land Clemens, but I just don’t think its that realistic. If we do get him, it will be for the second half of the season I would suppose, and I think it would be best to land another pitcher.
Wow. I didn’t realize until now that ex-President Ford passed away.
Is anyone out there?
And not only Gerald Ford. No one over here commented that James Brown passed away some days ago.
I’ve got it, Andy and Gabe. It makes an absolutelly logical decision to announce the deal with Igawa at the last minute, because we can send the money to Japan in the first days of 2007.
That was NOT the case between the Flops and Matsuzaka. That was a reality show
Interesting numbers of Zito with the run support, Alejandro. But I still think his price is really high. I wonder if he worth it
i dont think zito is worth it….he has struggled against the al east the last few years….still in replacing randy you only need someone who can put up similar numbers….an era of 5.01, and win abt 15 games, can zito do that?? prolly, but what does he cost to do that?
on an aside, how was everyone’s holiday?? its been a min since i was here, just got back last night from the in-laws, hope everyone is happy with what santa (or whoever you choose to align yourself with) brought! congrats to Mark on the new gig!! i just hope this doesnt mean whoever comes in doesnt run a yankee blog…
I don’t think he’ll be worth the asking price, but I would feel more comfortable adding another pitcher.
as to igawa and the money being a part of 2007, wouldnt it fall the actual baseball season or fiscal year (Nov to Oct)??
I think keeping Johnson through his 300th win might be exciting to watch. Of course, it won’t come this year and we’d have to worry about resigning him. But, even injured he’s proven himself to be a 17-win guy. I’m a huge fan of Mussina but can we say that about him? (Go for 20 this year, Mike!) Randy is a fighter and a winner. He is still intimidating as all heck. Whatever his ERA will be, the Yankees will have enough offense to cover …
That said, I don’t think the D-backs match up well on a trade. Perhaps LA – Hong-Chih Kuo, Greg Miller, and either Jeff Duncan or Tydus Meadows would be appropriate.
Has a discussion ever been held as to whether or not the players actually check these webpages? It could be awfully deflating for someone to see themselves as the subject of ridicule by the vocal minority! I think the over-riding theme should be how our team is great and getting better, no what’s holding us back. Mr. Cashman, if you’re reading: Let’s go into Spring Training with the first-base situation as is. Give Pavano a chance to redeem himself. And, if Randy wants to work from home (like Roger did), then trade him for prospects. A young, left-handed reliever would be nice but don’t give up too much and make sure he’s with Guidry for a long enough time to develop.
Anyone can tell me how are the weather conditions expected to be in New York and Boston for the following days?
I’m asking because my sister in law, her husband and their two sons are going to be over there. They’ll spend from Dec. 28-30 in Boston and then go to New York from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4. How low is the temperature?
And where is the best place to recieve 2007? Times Square?
just a theory but if you are a public figure and you concern yourself too much with what ppl on a blog page say abt you (take note arod and you too nancy drew) then you are in the wrong profession! everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if you are too rattled by what ppl think abt you then you will never be truly successfull, im not saying completely discount what ppl write/say but recognize it for what it is and strive to your own levels of perfection and ideas of where you stand on your own terms.
that said, looking for upgrades is natural, and no one is irreplaceable (anyone who has ever left a job (on their own vocation or someone elses) knows that. so mr cashman, look to improve where ever you can!!
well its been in the 40’s here (DC) the last few days and rainy, and NY and boston are both a bit north (NY abt 4 hrs and boston i think was 6.5) so a little colder prolly….i had a blast the two years i went to time sq. (1999, 2001)but it is crowded and now i tend to lean toward smaller affairs, how young are their children??
Thank you very much. But they are no kids at all. Rodrigo is 26 and José Miguel 23
I have to wonder if Randy will make it to 300 at all. Sure, he is 20 away, but at his age, the knees, the back, there is no guarantee he will get there.
NY Post today…Cashman looks to get Younger, Cheaper, Deeper.
Yup, I saw about the passing of the “godfather of soul.” His Live at the Apollo CD is a must-have.
For prospects, Ross, the D-backs match up extremely well. Too well. They are arguing that the Yanks are asking too much for Randy. See my Christmas evening 9:05 pm post for some of the D-backs top prospects.
Jorge, the tempature up here has so far been unseasonably warm. It is about 40 today and has been in the 40s and 50s all month. No snow so far. I kind of like it (I’m not a fan of snow and my rib cage is still healing!)
I’ve never been to Times Square for the new year, but it, of course, will be crowded as all heck and traffic will be ridiculously slow. If they go, they will have to get there very early and it will be very late by the time they get out.
I would doubt very highly that any player checks out the blogs. For one, they need a thick skin, and they can’t pay attention to every little thing said about or written about them.
I know that I once asked C Brian Schneider of the Nationals a question about the postseason. Brian came from my hometown and I know his uncle Mike. When the season is over, Brian just gets away. He doesn’t even watch the playoffs or WS. I believe most players are the same way. If you aren’t in it, you don’t care who wins or not. You want the prize for yourself. Also, after busting your butt from Feb. through October, you need time away to relax and recharge the batteries. Sure, in the offseason you stay in shape, exercise, etc., but that is your “down time” to clear the mind, etc.
TS might be just the spot for them jorge…
does anyone know defintively what it was that was “too much” for the d-backs?? kinda thinking a quality C, a LHP (starter or pen) and a OF might be a nice addition…
**temperature**
Again, thank you very much, both of you
What the Yanks asked for, I don’t know.
straight from espn: “Hillenbrand has 133 walks in 3,538 career plate appearances, an average of one every 26.6 times up, the lowest walk rate for any active player (minimum 2,500 PA). Anaheim might be a good destination for Hillenbrand, because the Angels’ 2,321 walks drawn over the last five seasons are third fewest of any major league team.”
now this is just a thought, but if you are a team who doesnt draw a lot of walks wouldnt you want a player to help BOOST that total?? and likewise if you are aplayer who doesnt draw a lot of walks wouldnt you want to be where you could learn some plate disipline??? god i love their reporting/analyzing skills…..
Again, thank you very much, both of you
Posted by: jtorresmesias@hotmail.com | December 27, 2006 02:24 PM
I mean Mike and Mikee
gotcha…no prob, glad to help!!
I’m half way between Boston and New York, and we just got a little bit of snow, about 30 degrees out doors.
As for the Randy being a 17 game winner thing, I think you need to look closer at that. He got 17 wins with a 5.00 ERA, which means that those wins were coming from an overexagerated run support. Mussina doesn’t get nearly the same run support, and I think the reason why is that since Mussina was categorized as the staff ace, he would always be matched up against other teams aces. Further more, I remember two games, one against the White Sox, and another against Toronto where A-Rod made winning much more difficult with his errant throw. Then Mussina also missed a few starts with a groin injury. So all in all, I think Mussina is much better. If Mussina got Johnson’s run support you’d see a twenty game winner every season.
You remember well, Falejandro.
Back later.
It’s unseasonably warm in NY. It’s been mid-40’s to mid-50’s or higher. I was in the city yesterday, walking around with just a sweater and scarf and still warm. It will be colder at night, if they choose to do Times Square. Although, keep in mind, if you want to get anywhere near the ball dropping, they must get there VERY early, and if they move (to use a restroom, get something to eat or drink) they WILL loose their spot and not be able to return. They might want to just think of finding some dive bar and drinking there, and watching the ball drop on TV!!!
Thanks for the feedback on my question! If I played professionally, I’d probably be curious to see what’s being said.
As for the D-backs … living in Arizona as I do, it’s funny to listen to the announcers (and fans) truly believe they are fielding a World Series team each and every year. People down here may think Randy is the missing piece of the puzzle. They don’t realize that he’s just a name on a marquee to put butts in the seats while they rebuild (which is exactly the reason he left). There are plenty of prospects the D-Backs should keep and develop during these next 3-4 lean years so they can actually challenge the NL West again. So, when I say we don’t match up … there is not enough they’d be willing to give up for a publicity player and not enough we’d get back for a perennial 17-game winner regardless of his current health.
You can always make your own ball and drop it when the clock strikes midnight.
while i dont hink he will ever be a 20 game winner i do think he is a great pitcher, i saw him in baltimore for a while and was thrilled when he went north!! i liked that his strike out total went up last year and walks went down. i know he didnt get 200 innings but he is still a work horse and had he not missed those few starts with a pulled groin (so many jokes flying to mind right now) he would certainly have been there. i think he is still a “top tier” pitcher and will still be good next year, he isnt a power pitcher in my mind, hes a crafty pitcher, and thats why he has had continued success in my mind, and why he will continue to be a successfull pitcher! in the long run its always the smarter pitchers who reap the most success! and as so many before me on this board have pointed out Moose is one of (if not THE) smartest men in the world, let alone baseball!!
remeber ross, that it doesnt take much to win the NL West, over the last 3 years its an average 88-74 (which both the padres and dodgers had last year) that has won the west. its not completely off the wall to think that RJ could get them into the playoffs, and all you have to do is look at last year to see that you dont need a great record to win it all….just a little bit of luck….
Happy After-Christmas, folks.
Boston weather
Presently 40° at Boston’s Logan Airport and about the same out on my deck. Cloudy and overcast with a breeze, this is the coldest day in a while because of the wind.
There might be some rain or snow showers this weekend as a warm front tries to get in.
Until then 20s at night 30s for the daytime.
Jorge, Boston and New York are great places for New Year’s Eve though very different.
The New York Times Square crowd has always been rather friendly and it is an exciting thing to watch the ball drop. I used to go each year, take in a theater show, dinner, watch the new year roll in.
But Boston has the US’s oldest celebration of First Night on New Years Eve. There is a parade, theater, musical, dance performances at many venues downtown. There is something for children and adults and everyone in between. There are ice sculptures, art exhibits, just about every form of entertainment from 1PM to midnight. It is all capped by a fireworks display over the waterfront.
Up to date weather info can be found on http://www.boston.com, which is a site run by the Boston Globe.
First Night info is at http://www.firstnight.org/
for those interested, the rest of the divisions ove the same three years: AL East 98-64; AL Cent 96-66; AL West 94-68; NL East 95-67; NL Cent 96-66
*over
They say we shouldn’t expect much in return for Johnson. Personally, as long as we dump payroll I don’t really care what we get. I’d hate to see the Yankees pay $16 million to this guy next year.
Yawn.
When do pitchers and catchers report?
Not soon enough I’ll tell you that much.
The Igawa deal is now done and announced.
Where’d you read that?
Pete Abraham’s blog.
Sweet, thank you.
Future looks good…
ESPN Insider Jim Callis chat wrap today:
Jack Bauer (unknown): What are your top ten farm systems?
SportsNation Jim Callis: (2:19 PM ET ) Fine question. My Top 10 in order is: Devil Rays, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Angels, Yankees, Brewers, Royals (almost solely for the big three of Gordon, Hochevear, Butler), Tigers, Reds (again for the star power at the top).
It is also on the Yankees official site, under the announcements. It was just posted within the hour.
The Yankee farm has been very fruitful in the past, and I’m happy to hear that it will continue to be so in the future. Though I will say, when everyone and their mothers was saying that the Yankees had no farm, we pulled out Robinson Cano and Chien Ming Wang. One hit .342 in his second season, and the other tied the league with 19 wins in his second season. The Red Sox may have been able to say something similar if they hadn’t rid themselves of Freddy and Anibal Sanchez.
…and Melky had a nice rookie season (he was still a rookie in 2006 because he didn’t have many at bats in 2005).
Later…time for grub.
As our friend Mike Sommer said, finally it’s official. Here are the links from NYY site and Sports Illustrated:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061227&content_id=1767964&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/12/27/bc.bba.yankees.igawa.ap/index.html
BTW, thak you very much to Mikee, Mike, Alejandro, Kat and Paul for your answers. I’ve copied and pasted them, so I will give all your comments to my nephews tonight. Once again, thank you very much. You’re very kind.
Here in México we’re very proud that Lorena Ochoa was named AP’s female athlete of the year. She once played here in Mérida, Yucatán, at her beginnings. A great golf player and a great girl.
Jorge you could also check out http://www.weather.com and just type in New York or Boston to get the temperatures of right now and the projected 10 day forecasts….
No way we get anything more than a salary dump and a prospect if we get rid of johnson. What I mean is no chance of multiple prospects unless they are lower ranked, which is also not impressive. I agree, I’d be happy to rid ourselves of the money.
Tru dat Vince.
It is after midnight in the Eastern Time Zone, so that means…
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY,
MIKE!!!!!
Have a great birthday and year ahead.
The Yankees have offered Barry Zito a 6 year contract worth $96 million!
No i made that up.
just wanted to see what was so thrilling about doing that, everyone seems to enjoy it.
Thanks, Paul.
yeh, im not sure what this obsession is with everyone saying the yankees will go hard after zito, first they have a full rotation (over filled truly if you count karstens and rasner), second they are deep at AAA with talent that is VERY close to major league ready, if not already ready to come up….seems like every time a “marquee” free agent hits the market the yankees are “very interested” even if they publically say they have no interest….and even if its not the major news outlests first reporting it, enough local newspapers start it to justify their club not getting involved that eventually the bigger oulets jump in as well….grrr, frusterating….
on an aside, happy na-na mike! how old does this make you??
anyone hear abt bobby murcer?? brain surgery today for a tumor….
People don’t learn, gnome. The media acts as if “big spending George” is in charge, and ignore the fact that Cashman is shedding payroll and not throwing money around on anybody and anything.
So whenever a free agent comes along, they automatically write that the Yanks are interested. Why? Because the big-spending Yankees and Big, Bad George make good copy, even if that is no longer the case.
Perpetuate the myth, if you will.
That’s awful news on Bobby. I started rooting for the Yanks in 1967, so I only had two years of a fading Mantle to root for. Bobby was my first baseball hero, and unlike so many players of today, is a very sweet, non-assuming man. I remember standing in line a few years ago just watching the players and old-timers enter the Stadium on old-timers day. Bobby took longer than anyone else to enter the Stadium as he spent as much time as possible signing autographs and having his picture taken with people before he had to say “sorry, that’s enough”. God help him to a full recovery.
If possible, please give us a link to the Murcer story. I am sure many would want to know more.
A sad time for the Giants…first Uribe passes away, then 3b of the mid 1980s Chris Brown.
Also, Philadelphia A’s OF Sam Chapman passed on. Chapman played in the late 1930s and in the 1940s. Like many of his generation, he lost time to WWII service. In his case, all of 1942-1944 and all but 9 games of 1945.
Meanwhile
45 today.
So are the Yankees gonna sign Mientkievich, or Loretta, or Cairo or what?
I found the link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16376340/
A good man from my church passed away yesterday and left two small girls. He had a brain tumor. I shall keep him in my prayers today and will also pray for Bobby.
Murcer story:
espn: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2710047
msnbc (this seems to be the same article taken from the AP): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16376340/
and the NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/483794p-407218c.html
I’m sorry to hear that. What are the girls’ names, I’ll pray for them as well.
its tough, i see cases everyday of ppl passing from different types of surgeries on the same vein….its hard to read some of these day in and day out…but i also see so many that are “near misses” of medical disasters, i will say that MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the best hospitals ive had the pleasure of interacting with, and i know that he is in good hands!
Megan and Maria.
Sorry about the sad things I’ve been reading about Bobby Murcer and Mike’s friend. Last Dec 22th, Nicolás Xacur, a great business man from here, passed away. He was just 48. I never met him, but one of my best friends was his right arm in business. My friend, Manuel, is trully devastated. Also, the youngest of Nicolás’ daughters, Nicole (18), is one of my son’s best friends. My son (Jorge, 19) was with Nicole during the memorials.
These things only can make us realize that we have to enjoy life as much as we can. We have to spend as much time as possible with those we love. Because we don’t know when our life, which is borrowed to us, would end.
But, trying to forget those sad events, I think we have to focus in one, really, important thing. Today is one of the brightest days in Yankee history:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And this is how we say here in México:
En un día feliz
un niñito nació
que se llama Mike
y que sea feliz.
Al partir su pastel
un deseo pidió
que se cumpla el deseo
y que sea feliz.
MY BEST WISHES TO TOU, MIKE
Can anybody tell me how is it possible that I can’t find A SIGLE LINE related to Bobby Murcer’s surgery in MLB.com or in NYY official site? INEXCUSABLE.
im sure we will hear something today….the AP didnt have anything out until this morning…everything happened so fast, MRI on christmas eve, results maybe later that day or heck maybe even not until tuesday, then wednesday the disision is made for surgery, today it goes public, mlb.com typically doesnt update until abt noon….lazy bass-turds
from mlb.com: Zito — who resides in San Francisco — has pitched for the Oakland Athletics his entire career and apparently has chosen to remain on the West Coast. The Mets, Mariners, Angels and the Yankees were all interested in Zito.
when did the yankees ever show interest in zito??? was there ever a report of a conversation with zito?? maybe a report abt a conversation with boras??? GRRRR stop mis-reporting things and stop fabricating information!!!!
btw he is supposedly signing w/ san fran
Yeah I read that. If that’s the case that’ll end all the speculation. If the Yanks move Johnson, they will have a rotation of Wang, Mussina, Pettite, Pavano, and Igawa, with Karsten, Sanchez, Hughes, and Rasner available to take over if Igawa doesn’t pan out, and when Pavano returns to the DL.
Birthday wishes Mike, have a good one!
Kat here – I have faith that Bobby Murcer will be just fine. My uncle had to have surgery to remove a tumor on his brain a few years back, and though there were some residual effects that are slowly fading away, he is alive and healthy.
Happy Birthday, Mike!
1 month and 18 days until pitchers and catchers.
Alejandro, I’m not sure Hughes would be ready for full time starting this year.
No I don’t think so either, but if Pavano takes a fall, or if Pettite needs to miss some time, I think they’ll give him a couple starts.
I feel like all those guys are plugs. They’ll be given time to develop, and maybe in 2008 we’ll see them regularly.
well and if nothing else, jeff weaver still hasnt signed….i heard that the yankees are pushing hard to get him and that is why st.louis has been dragging their feet….
>was being totaly facetious in case you couldnt pick up on that<
Actually, Steinbrenner was really impressed with his post season performance, he’s trying to get Cashman to bring him and Womack back.
Today is my half birthday, obviously superior to mike’s birthday.
jk, happy birthday mike.
and he wants to bring straw back along with dwight gooden to “recapture the atmosphere” from seasons long ago…
also after a diet of flaxseed oil milkshakes Jim Abbott is starting to make noise of his comeback, with the yankees at the forefront of the list of interested teams!!
no slight to JA tho, i saw him pitch and he was amazing, and he made a speach at my school once…very nice guy!!
Thanks, all.
I think Andrew is preparing the trunk for Pavano.
I’ll help.
Zito to SF for 7 years, $126 million.
Under the $1.40 to the dollar ratio….such a deal would have cost the Yanks $176.4 million, and a seven year deal would most likely have blocked the path of some cheaper, highly regarded prospects.
Thanks Cashman for saying NO to Zito.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061228&content_id=1768001&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
Where’d you hear about the deal?
Never mind.
just curious but now that the feds have access to the steroid data, how soon before we start seeing names of the 100 players who tested positive in 2003?? im a little curious to see who is on the list….as well as who is not….was everyone tested? or only a random selecting from each team??
Well, Zito just signed himself to 7 years of mediocrity.
Happy birthday Mike.
That team will not be good for at least another three years. GOOD CHOICE ZITO! I guess some guys care more about where they live than winning.
Oh good, I’m glad the Zito mess is over. The ticket was just too high and it was too long a commitment. Seriously though, SF?? But I’m not complaining that he’s there instead of on an AL contender.
Happy Birthday, Mike!
Hopefully Bobby Murcer’s surgery goes well. He was an excellent player lost in the shadows as the successor to Mantle and DiMaggio and never really got the credit he deserved.
A hard trivia to Mike:
As I posted earlier, today is one of the brightest days in Yankees history. When is the other one?
Hey everybody!! Belated Merry Christmas wishes to all–I hope Santa was good to everyone! For any of my fellow Heat fans in here, great Christmas Day beatdown of the Lakers, woohoo! Dwayne Wade=Santa Claus. 😀
And, belated congrats to Mark on his new job! Like everyone else, the news made me realize how meaningful and important chatting with you guys on this blog has become to me. I hope I will see all my fellow regs on the Daily News site come Jan 1 and I hope that we can carry all our little jokes over to there, from long walks on the beach to BAMFs to who you want to back you up in a barfight. I hope their bandwidth can handle us! 😉 (If it can’t maybe we can find another Yanks MLBlog to hang out on–in addition to the Daily News blog of course–don’t worry Mark, we’d never desert you!)
And last but certainly not least, Happy Birthday Mike! And Happy Birthday to my beloved doggie Thousand who turns 12 today! And, Happy Miguel Cairo Appreciation Day everyone! 😀
As for baseball news, I’m sooo glad we didn’t get Zito. Three cheers for Cash’s cool head! And if Johnson actually gets traded I will have to have a party! I hear interested teams are Seattle, the Angels, Padres, and Arizona. I’ve also heard mention of the Dodgers. Is Navarro still with them? It would be great if we could get him back! I’d rather receive a backup C or 1st baseman (still hoping to sign Mintchocolatechip tho) and a starter than a reliever (unless it’s a lefty.) Dodgers and Angels have the best farm systems so I’d prefer a trade w/them. This would be a helluva Christmas present from the Yanks if we woke up one day soon to find RJ gone. Make it so Cash!
HEY!!!!!!!! How are you, Ginaforfirstlady?
BTW there are so many Miguel Cairo Appreciation Days. But you’re right. Nothing is enough when talking about Miggy
i totally understand this signing….the NL West is one of the weakest divisions in the game, in an unbalanced schedule he made the smartest choice to pad his numbers, he gets away from the AL, and into a division where no matter how mediocore you are, you have a legit shot at the playoffs every year….there are no real power houses out there, minimal “big” games, not has media crazy, and there is a “star” there bigger than him who the media will be devouring no matter what, even if he starts slowly everyone will be watching the other barry and talking abt the other barry….it takes off the pressure
As for baseball news, I’m sooo glad we didn’t get Zito. Three cheers for Cash’s cool head! And if Johnson actually gets traded I will have to have a party!
Posted by: moose4prez35@yahoo.com | December 28, 2006 01:33 PM
AM I INVITED???????????? 😉
Hey Jorge! I’m doing great, how are you? How was your Christmas, get any good Yankees stuff?
You’re right, Mikee. Zito shows us he’s that kind of player, choosing to play for the Giants. Thank God Cashman is too smart.
Of course you’re invited! Everyone here is, and I’m serving lasagna, cheesecake and other renowned New York food to celebrate the departure of the guy who never belonged in NY! 🙂
Grat Christmas Gina, but no Yankees stuff 😦
Grat = Great. Sorry
Good notice is that my nephews will recieve New Year in Times Square. They flew earlier today to Boston and the 31 are going to NY. I aske the older one to buy me some Yankee stuffs. BTW, do you know what’s the best Yankee Store in NY?
aske = ask. What’s going on????????
Maybe it’s the Bacardí and Tequila
Well as long as Santa was good to you it’s all good!
I finally got my “Got Melky?” shirt so he better not get traded now! (But even if he does, I will wear my shirt when I go see him on his new team–the Melkman has a fan in me for life!) I also got a great book about the 1978 Yanks called “October Men”– fascinating stuff, I can barely put it down!
Going to leave for a moment. Back later
Oh and all the Yankee stuff that I usually buy in NY is bought at the little souveneir stand across the street from the Stadium. Not sure if it’s open during the offseason but if not, Modell’s is always the place for great deals. Gotta go to MO! 😀
Don’t worry, Gina. I don’t think Melky will be traded. As I said before, Cash is too smart
Modell’s????
Modell’s is a sports store. We have a few here, but of course they’re infested with Nationals/Orioles gear.
Thanks, Andrew. I’ll tell them
See you later, folks
yeah jorge, modell’s sporting goods, it is dubbed “the yankee store” you can even buy tickets in the store, it is somewhat near the empire state building if i’m not mistaken.
everything here has orioles and nats…such is the penalty for living right outside DC….
Yeah but we can also go and watch Adam Loewen beat the Yankees from time to time. Err I mean, we can go see Yankees-Orioles games.
HA….i saw that game this year too….depressing….although i did finnally get my wife to agree to goto a game that isnt the yankees…she is still learning abt baseball but she is picking it up quick!! she likes the orioles stadium, which i have to admit is pretty nice, heck of a lot better than the old one!! and ten million times better then RFK for the nats
Camden Yards is a great park, but the owner has ruined anything good about the Orioles.
I’ll be off and on today.
Thanks for the wishes, everybody.
Jorge, here are the addresses for Yankee stores in NYC.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nyy/ballpark/yankeestore_clubhouse.jsp
I would suggest for your nephews to go and eat at Mickey Mantle’s restaurant (a little expensive, but worth it just to go there once) on 42 Central Park South, which is W. 59th St. Then they could walk a few blocks, past Black Rock in the east direction (which would be a right out of Mickey’s) to the address listed above at E. 59th St. It’s a Yankee Store.
That is what I did with my club a few years ago. We ate lunch at Mickey’s, went to the Yankee store (or wherever people wanted to go, like FAO Schwartz–a toy store made famous in the movie “Big”–) or hung around CBS and Black Rock. Then we took the bus over to the Stadium since the game was a 4:15 start that afternoon.
Jorge…good days in Yankees history include:
Whenever a Yankee fan is born,
whenever the Yanks win the WS
and of course,
the Day Babe Ruth came to the Yankees! (January 3rd)
i love going to games in baltimore for a couple of reasons, first it is right next to the inner-harbor, so you have all kinds of shops and eats and entertainment, then there is an awesome bar up the steet that has 100 beers on draft at any given timem and frankly whats not to love abt that (they also have the best garlic muscles in the world), and the stadium is nice and almost every seat is good. but the funniest things there are the tributes to babe ruth!! there is a HUGE statue of him right at the enterance to the stadium!! ive never seen a club try so hard, a statue of a guy who never played for their team before!!
Navarro is now with Tampa Bay, Gina.
As for prospects, I think Arizona has the best. See the list I posted of Diamondback prospects on Christmas night…around 9 pm or so.
Randy wouldn’t get us too much (he is 43, after all) but maybe one of them???
Mikee—that’s like when the Phillies played in Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park) by themselves from 1955-1970. (They shared it with the A’s 1938-1954).
Imagine playing in a stadium named after someone not associated with your team, but your city rival. A rival that skipped town.
but the owner has ruined anything good about the Orioles.
Posted by: marksman@ny-yankees.net | December 28, 2006 02:13 PM
welcome to the sentiment of every orioles fan i have ever met around here!! my company can barely give their season tickets away….ppl are always putting them up on our newsletter/company garage sale…its pathetic….ol’ pete is slow to pull the trigger when he needs to and he obsesses over control, you have to put ppl in charge who you trust! and then you have to let them do their job!! oh well as long as they pitter at the cellar the yanks can enjoy some more dominance and i can afford to go to games and get drunk!!
that is sad…didnt know they played in connie mack stadium!! actually i guess its kind of funny….a tad appripoe (never said i could spell) tho…a city like philly would put its team in a stadium named for an arch rival…and they would boo the national anthem, throw snowballs at santa, and any number of other attrocities associated with philly sports
I’ve been telling people for months that the Yanks had no interest in Zito.
Maybe now people will believe me?
lol mickey mantles is VERY expensive.
I’ve been to Mantle’s restaurant twice.
Back on later.
Thanks for the tips, Vince and Mike. I’ll send an e-mail to my nephews with your advices
I’ve been telling people for months that the Yanks had no interest in Zito.
Maybe now people will believe me?
Posted by: yankeefan1@enter.net | December 28, 2006 02:29 PM
Did Kasey predicted Zito was going to play with the Yankees?
Didn’t Kasey predict that the Yankees would crash and burn their way down to 5th place in the AL east?
Thanks, Mike, I went back and looked at that list. Wonder if Justin Upton is any relation to BJ Upton? Some of those prospects do look pretty good, I wasn’t aware AZ had much on their farm. I kind of like the idea of Micah Ownings because I’d want a guy with whom we could replace RJ in the rotation. Also, I would hope that we could get 2 players in return for him, and I don’t really mind eating his contract in order to do so.
If the yanks paid $4 Million of Johnson’s salary I think the Diamondbacks are getting a pretty good deal, especially in the current free agent climate. The Yankees may even want to consider expanding to $6 Million if the right prospects are offered.
fale yeah i had something on another blog saying i wouldn’t mind the yankees eating 25% of the salary for a better prospect or multiple mid levels (I don’t think they will get more, johnson has 1-2 years left in him MAYBE even for the NL
The New York Times has an article saying that the Diamondbacks have another $10 million they can use for payroll and do not want to spend more than that. For that reason if the Yankees were willing to put up $6 Million, they could probably get the deal done, but the only way the Yankees would cough up $6 Million is if they get back a good batch of prospects or a combination of prospects and a major league ready left handed releiver.
on a sidenote, i can’t even tell you how absolutely excited I would be if either manny varitek or ortiz were one of those names on the positive testing list.
The Yankee home page has a video of Gossage recording the last out of the 1978 ALCS.
And yes, I do know who the LF is catching the ball. Do you?
I can’t express how excited I would also be if the reality of moving sheffield, wright and johnson and producing 5-7 mid to upper level prospects in return this offseason happened…That would be amazing, and all seven would be pitchers, talk about adding depth. Plus igawa and pettitte, to essentially give up three players and come up with nine, and, if johnson is indeed moved, losing basically 13-14 million in payroll (from what I understand between picking up wright’s option and then trading him, same with shef and losing all of randy’s salary then adding the 16 on pettitte and 4 on igawa) would be terrific.
Oh and btw, all three we’d be giving up, are injury proned, and of the 9, only seven have had a serious injury in the past…i have to believe between pettitte and igawa, one will pan out minimum, and between the seven prospects, 2-3 minimum would be solid, these aren’t potentially low rankign prospects or anything……this all of course relies on johnson being traded, which I increasingly am believing will happen.
only 2* not seven.
Pete’s blog has this. I already just e-mailed our club’s President and founder so hopefully our Club will send a card (but because of the holidays, our club’s President may not get the e-mail message until January 2nd or so)…
but get well wishes to
Bobby Murcer
The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd,
Houston, TX 77030
Oh…the LF in the video? It’s Gary Thomasson.
Are you still over here, Mike?
I was eating and I’ll be heading out for a while in about a 1/2 hour, Jorge.
What would you like to know? If I can’t answer it right away, I’ll try to get back to it.
Here is another flat out media lie…from FoxSports and Ken Rosenthal on Zito
He flirted with the Yankees, Rangers and other suitors.
When did Zito flirt with the Yankees? The Yanks did NOT have interest in Zito.
What bunk.
Mike:
There is a venezuelan baseball writer, Juan Vené. I don’t know if you’ve heard about him. He’s one of the best latin american baseball reportes. Well, he writes daily a column, which is publicated in many newspapers for all over Latin America. And he wrote this trivia:
What is the longest homerun ever in MLB history?
Who hit it? Where? When?
Of course, it’s not JUST for Mike. Anyone who knows the answer, I’ll be waiting
It is hard to say, Jorge. So many have never been documented. It is rumored that Babe Ruth hit one 620 ft. in Detroit in 1926.
Mantle’s 1953 shot in Washington is said to have gone 565 ft. That was paced off, but using heel to toe measurements so the accuracy isn’t that great.
The 1963 Shot Mantle hit that missed clearing the facade by 18″ was determined by physicists to possibly go 636 feet if unobstructed, but all witnesses to that shot say that the ball was STILL RISING when it kissed the roof (facade) and could have gone over 700 feet if the 636 is to be believed.
A 1960 Mantle HR at Detroit that cleared the RF roof was geometrically measured at 643 feet, but the geometric measurement came many years after the HR, so there is doubt over the actual landing spot.
A 1997 HR that McGwire hit off of Randy Johnson is said to have gone 583 feet.
Then, of course, is another story…I forget who hit the ball, maybe Ernie Lombardi. He hit a ball over the fence. A railroad track was behind the fence and a train was passing. The ball bounced into an open car and wasn’t discovered until the train came to a halt 30 miles up the track!
Be back later…out to celebrate my b/day a bit!
Thanks to all for the b/day greetings. Much appreciated.
For the record, Mickey said the 1963 HR was the hardest ball he ever hit.
Mickey did hit 2 balls over the 461 sign at the Stadium. Both are estimated to be 480-502 ft.
In an exhibition game at USC in 1951 (before he played his 1st ML game) Mickey hit one that cleared the 439 mark in RCF…sailed over a football field that ran parallel to the RF fence (160 ft)wide with sidelines of 40′ wide each, and hit a fence ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD on one hop. There are two different accounts of the landing spot. One person’s spot has it at 645 feet, and the other 654 to 660 feet!
In addition to this shot, hit lefty, Mantle on this same day hit a RIGHTY shot that went 500 feet. (Bovard Field, Los Angeles, March 26, 1951). Mickey was 19 years, 5 Months and 6 days old at the time.
Information from an excellent book I have that chronicles Mickey’s home runs. Explosion! by Mark Gallagher.
The one Juan Vené is referring to is the 1960 one in Detroit you’ve mentioned. It was the 10th of September at Detriot’s Briggs Stadium. It seems it went 643 feet. The pitcher was Paul Foytack. 2 men on base. 2 outs. 7th inning. Attendance: 10,815
Hey all. I say good news on the Zito announcement. Why is it such good news?
1) He went somewhere else, besides the Yankees.
2) He went to the NL West. Right now, most of those “interested” in RJ are in the NL West, as in the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks. This signing could (hopefully) cause a GM or two in that division to increase what they have been previously willing to offer in order to “match” the Zito signing. We can only hope.
Oh yeah, and it’s about time they finalize the Igawa contract.
Good day, all.
Go to http://www.nydailynews.com/sports and see two news stories.
The first states that after six hours of surgery, Bobby Murcer is recuperating and that the surgery went well and the prognosis appears good. He may be going home (we all hope) on New Year’s Day. Get well soon, Bobby!
The other article states that there may be a deal with Arizona within a week. The Yanks supposedly are looking at three pitchers, and would like two of them. One they would be interested in is the aforementioned (see my post of 9:05 pm Dec. 25th) Micah Owings.
The same article also mentions the possibility of Eye Chart for 1b and Loretta as the utility infielder.
The deal with AZ would, of course, be the RJ deal.
Could you imagine landing both eye chart and Loretta? I think that would solidify the infield right there. As for the Arizona trade, I do hope it goes through. I’d like to see what we get for Johnson.
On another note, I read somewhere that the Yankees were still talking about landing either Villone or Schoenweiss. Personally, I want Villone back, but what do others think?
Well im certainly glad to see progress on all those fronts!! loretta would be interesting, he has experience all over the infield and isnt bad with the glove, but im still a miggy-man…i am sure that loretta would want more $$ than cairo would need. still i guess its a waiting game….
go go villone!! but that just my vote!!
Here is another vote for Villone.
I think that, with a better starting rotation, his arm won’t be overused as it was at the second half of the season, when Ron struggled dramatically.
This is the link Mike said:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/
About Bobby Murcer’s and RJ trade’s articles
The one team having a rough offseason is the Mets. With Pedro out for 1/2 of 2007, they were interested in Matsuzaka, Igawa, Suppan, Zito…and didn’t land any of them. For their sake, thank goodness Glavine returned.
Screw the Mets. Even though I like half their players, and half their players are my countrymen, I just can’t bring myself to support that expansion era gimmick of a franchise.
I was just giving the facts, falejandro.
yeh i hate the mets but i like willie….i grew up watching willie….he was half the reason i started playing 2nd base….he was “my dawg”
but yes they have had a rough go of this offseason….and i know they are preaching this “we arent going after anyone else…” bull **** now but lets face it, they are going to over pay for someone like mulder or weaver (a fringe guy) and hope for the best and wind up losers again…but thats just my thoughts….
cr ap was bleeped???? darn i cant say anything
I know Yankeefan1, I was just expressing myself. By the way, what’s your real name? If feels wierd writing Yankeefan1.
The Mets only really need to add one more starter to a (shaky) rotation of Glavine, El Duque, Maine, and Perez. Plus they have that Pelfrey guy who’s pretty much ready for the Majors.
Not the troops I’d go to war with, but they’re there, they’ll do in a pinch, and the Mets have the resources to fill holes mid-season if they have to.
mike
i agree with swo, i still think that they will pick up a fringe starter to fill one spot rather then hand it to their “in house canidates” that minaya reffered to….but i would expect whoever it is to fill a spot at the back end of the rotation, a 4 or 5….
Thanks Mike.
The Mets have the offense to make up for their lack of pitching. Its not a great scenario for them, but hey, the Yankees did the same thing in 2005.
The offense is there, true, but you have to wonder if the Phils have caught them. Glavine, El Duque, Maine, Perez and Pelfrey…hmmm…Willie may have to do a little “work” to keep them in the hunt before Pedro comes back.
Our old friend Aaron Boone (thanks for that walk off homer, Aaron. I’ll never forget it) is now a Florida Marlin. It’s a one year deal. $925,000.
Here is the link:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061229&content_id=1768341&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
And Mike Tyson does it again:
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/484169p-407580c.html
It’s incredible what a man can do with his life
Believe it or not, there is another smart Mike out there besides our very own Mike, one day past his birthday.
Mike Plugh has Canyon of Heroes at http://canyonofheroes.blogspot.com/
He points out a San Francisco Giant trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Giants send Francisco Liriano, Boof Bonser, and Joe Nathan to the Minnesota Twins for A.J. Pierzynski and cash.
That has to set a standard for bad trades, for Joe Nathan alone.
Giants GM, I think is Brian Sabean. Why don’t we ever get general managers like that? Oops, wait, we had him.
Mike Plugh is a guy living and working out of Japan. Mike had another blog, http://www.matsuzaka.blogspot.com which I was going on this summer to get information on Matsuzaka. He does a fine job.
RJ deal is reportedly down to the money, nearing completion. http://www.nypost.com/seven/12302006/sports/yankees/in_the_zona_yankees_joel_sherman.htm
I’m glad that Plugh’s choices of who to get in the RJ deal mirror my own preferences.
See the CanyonofHeroes blog posted by Paul for info on the prospects the Yanks are looking at. Here are some of the stats.
Dustin Nippert, 25 y.o. RHP 13-8, 4.87 in AAA in 2006,
0-2, 11.70 with Arizona. Tall. 6’8″
Micah Owings (who it is said would be one of the prospects coming to the Yanks)
6-2, 2.91 AA, 10-0, 3.70 AAA
Total 16-2, 3.33, 24 y.o. RHP 6’5″
Ross Ohlendorf 10-8, 3.29 at AA. RHP 6’4″, 24 y.o. One game, no decision, 1.80 ERA at AAA. 29 BB/125 K
Miguel Montero. C. 23 y.o. Lefty hitter.
AA .270-10-46
AAA .321-7-29
Total .286-17-75
Went 4 for 16 with 3 rbi for AZ.
Thamks for the article, Alex. Since I won’t be over here until 2007, I want to say to each and everyone of our Yankees family
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder, will this blog still be available next Monday?
Thamks = Thanks.
I haven’t drink my New Year’s Eve Bacardís yet, but the effect is beginning to push
Happy New Year to you too, Jorge. See ya next year.
O’s offer Aubrey Huff $18 million over 3 years.
My birthday is January 3rd. I was therefore born on the 70th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s sale to New York. I guess I was destined to become a Yankees fan.
I’m lad to see the RJ deal is looking very real. Hopefully the Yankees win out in their negotiations with Arizona.
It was also good to hear Murcer’s surgery went well. Here’s to a speedy recovery for Bobby.
As for New York trip plans, I went there for the first time back in September. Mickey Mantle’s restaurant is excellent and I would definitely recommend it. I also stumbled across the Modell’s on 42nd Street next to Grand Central and found myself in Yankees Fan Shopping Heaven, especially for someone living in Minnesota.
In more disappointing news, the Giants’ win tonight makes it all but impossible for the Packers to make the playoffs. And they had my hopes up for a bit…but they’re a young team and will be back with a vengeance next year. Beating the Bears tomorrow would also be encouraging.
Happy and healthy new year to you all. See you on the Daily News site around January 15!
Happy New Year to you also, Mark, and to everyone.
Do you start writing for the News on or about Jan. 15, Mark, or is that when the blog is scheduled to begin?
___________
NFL Thoughts
Congratulations to Giants fans on last night’s win which seems to give them a chance for the final Wild Card slot.
However, it really is a sad commentary when an 8-8 team makes the playoffs.
As of right now out of 16 teams in the NFC only 5 have a winning record and could be 4 if Seattle bungles its final game, a good chance since it lost 3 in a row.
It says a lot about the NFC West, which Seattle wins this season, when the lowly Arizona Cardinals, with a record of 5-10 so far, goes 4-2 against the rest of the division.
In terms of deseving the playoffs I guess the Giants are playing in the best NFC division since it is the only one with 2 (2!!) other teams with winning records and went 4-2 against them.
The NFC will likely come down to the Bears and Saints.
The AFC is more wide open but the San Diego Chargers seem to be on a mission. Their only real challenge seems to be the Baltimore Ravens. The Tennessee Titans have won 6 in a row and face an already clinched Patriot team today so they have a shot also.
It should be an interesting day of football.
All the best, Mark.
For those who want to listen, our club’s show tonight was pre-recorded by Ty & Joe. Listen at your own convenience.
Rumors are still flying on the RJ deal.
Happy New Year’s everyone…see you on the other side.
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!! 2007 will be a GREAT year for the Yanks!
igawa isnt going to be as good as you think
Happy New Year, everyone! Looking forward to World Series win #27 in 2007!
On football…
At least the Packers ended on a high note and have a shot next year if Favre comes back. The University of Wisconsin also won the Capital One Bowl today, shutting down a potent Arkansas team. USC looked very impressive in winning the Rose Bowl and continued their dynasty. I bet Mark is happy about that.
Unfortunately, it’s back to school tomorrow, at least here anyway.
Is it baseball season yet?
What’s going on with this crazy world?????????
http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DEN/9901619
Rest in peace, Darrent Williams
anyone else notice the “season in preview” lline up section? who is playing first?? jason phillips?? is that the mutant offspring of jason giambi and andy phillips?? or is there something coming that no one has ever heard before??
For anyone to say that Igawa won’t be as good as we think implies that he knows how good we think Igawa will be; which, unless he is a mindreader (which I doubt) he doesn’t.
Let’s do a comparison between 2006 (7th in league in ERA) and what we hope will happen in 2007.
Just some stats to throw your way…
Looking at 2006, the Yanks had a consistent 1-2-3-4 rotation, meaning 4 pitchers started 27 games or more…
1) Wang 19*-6 3.63 (*19 wins tied for MLB lead)
2) Mussina 15-7, 3.51
3) Johnson 17-10 5.00 (you could flip/flop Mussina and RJ if you want, I’m ranking them like this due to performance)
4) Wright 11-7 4.49
So who was the # 5 starter?
Eight pitchers combined for 37 starts and total of 233 innings (including their relief appearances. I didn’t break it down THAT far….)
So your # 5 starter was (number of starts in parens)Chacon (11)/Lidle (9)/Karstens (6)/Small (3)/Ponson (3)/Rasner (3)/Henn (1)/Kris Wilson (1).
Their record? (inc. what they did in relief)
14-13, 6.22
So let’s look at 2007….Hypothetically…
Wang and Mussina are back. You don’t know if they can equal what they did…but bear with me…
CAN IGAWA EQUAL WRIGHT? We would think he could. 11-7, 4.49? Igawa hopefully gives more innings than Jaret “can’t get 18 outs” Wright.
If Igawa does this, then you have to ask yourself if Pettitte can equal RJ if RJ is dealt. He should. I can’t say if he will match RJ’s record, because you don’t know about run support, but Andy should have an ERA of less than 5.00.
That leaves the last spot. Could Pavano or some rookie do better than 6.22? You would hope so. (Of course with Pavano…LOL)
Yes, there are questions about the rotation….but look again what you are replacing and what little you are replacing. You aren’t replacing Cy Young and Sandy Koufax, but a 4.49 ERA who never went into the 7th inning, and two other spots that had a 5.00 and a 6.22 ERA.
Hope to see you on the News blog…and hope their server is at FULL and speedy capacity!
…and of course I am happy PSU won…
Woohoo, this blog still exists! Happy New Year everyone, and how bout BIG BLUE grabbing the wildcard?! Tiki is the man, playoffs here we come! And as an added bonus, the Cowgirls blowing the division by losing to the lowly Lions buahahahaha!! Week 17 was good to me 😀
As for the RJ trade, still crossing my fingers for it to happen. Looking over the prospects posted above, I like Montero and Ownings. Oh and our friend Aaron Boone to the Marlins..wow I didn’t realize that he was playing as a utility inf. now! I guess the Yanks had no interest in signing him as such, which is fine, but now they REALLY had better bring back Cairo!
Oh and congrats to Rutgers and Penn State on their Bowl wins! Shame about Michigan though 😦 Since I could care less about this year’s nat’l championship, time to look toward next year and the ‘Canes return to former glory!
Oh and I have a question too. I read in a Courant article online yesterday that RJ wants a 1-year extension as a condition of his trade? Is he on glue? I mean it’s not like he would get an extension if he STAYED with the Yanks, he must know this. I can see why he’s asking for one now–so that whether he gets it or not doesn’t have to depend on how well he pitches in 07–but to refuse to allow the trade to go through unless he gets one? Would be absolute malarkey! Again, he’s not gonna get one in NY, so why not accept the trade and just try to pitch well enough that he gets one at the end of 07? At his age coming off a surgery does he honestly think AZ’s gonna give him an extension NOW?
okay okay I’m really going over to the Daily News blog now. I am just a creature of habit and don’t like change lol.
I begin writing for the News on Jan. 15. The blog should start up that week.
Big win by the Trojans. Long live Pete Carroll!
thanks for the fix to “andy phillips” now at 1b who ever fixed it!!
some interesting comments in an SI article:
“The word going around is that while Clemens loved the convenience of home, he also misses the drama of New York. And, whether they know it or not, the Yankees’ efforts in trying to trade Johnson could enhance their chances to land Clemens. Beyond the fact that by trading Johnson they would free up dollars, word is that Clemens doesn’t particularly like Johnson to the point where he might even prefer to go to Boston or stay in Houston if the Yankees fail to unload The Big Unit.” That is encouraging since I do believe johnson will be traded.
also, this explains why the money situation is delaying things:
“The Diamondbacks, who already owe Johnson deferred monies from his first go-round there, may also want Johnson to defer some of his 2006 salary. And while a one-year extension for Johnson might not be a major hurdle, the whole thing could be held up as he is said to be vacationing in Hawaii.”
didnt realize there was that much animosity between clemens and johnson. as to not waiving a no-trade clause in exchange for an extention, i completely agree with johnson. he wants to play with a winner as does everyone. now we wanna trade him back to a team that likely wont win the series. we gave him the no-trade clause, he should get some incentive to waive it. and yes he wouldnt get one if he stayed but its his right to ask for one. but i dont think that an extention has ever been truly the hang up. the diamondbacks have always looked at this as picking up a gate attraction (as stated many times befor now). his pursuit of 300 isnt likely to happen this year, so the diamondbacks would probably want him going for the 300 mark in their uniform in 2008. i think the money situaton will likely work itself out rather quickly and painlessly. i would love to see us grab owings, ohlendorf, and montero!! but somehow i doubt we could pry all three from their system.
As to clemens, while he is a great pitcher, and he would certainly help any team he played for, i dont know if i would be ready to make all the concessions that he may have become accustomed to in houston. the yankees have always been abt the team and not putting one player above the team. clemens’ contract last year seemed to put him above the rest of the astros. andwhile he is a very talented pitcher i just dont think he warrants being placed above any team!! play a full season, travel with the team, stay in the same hotels and be a part of the team!! if that would work for him, then bring him back. imagine what his numbers could have been with some runs behind him the last couple of years!!
The yankees have been published as stating that they would let clemens go to houston “any time that is possible”. Which means prob, west coast trips, the asb, etc. I don’t think it will be an issue, I’m sure the yankees will make some exceptions without selling out like the astros.
I’m off to the orange bowl, catch you all later, go wake forrest!
sorryr i wasn’t on all weekend, i was in orlando-no internet.
I hope the information is wrong Vince. If the Rocket is going to land in NY, he should be ONE MORE player. Same to the rest. I would only accept the half-season contract. Stats says it has worked. But, once he becomes again a Yankee, he should stay with the team all the rest of the season.
Gnome (Mikee?)..you make good points about Johnson. I definitely understand the logic behind him asking for an extension. Since nobody knows how he will perform post-surgery, it would definitely behoove him to get an extension now. However looking at it from AZ’s point of view, it would be silly for them to give him one until he proves himself. Also I think that Johnson cares more about 300 wins than about a WS ring. He already has one, so at least that monkey is off his back. And there is no way he’s gonna get the 300 this season, no matter where he pitches. So I think it would be best for him to just take the deal w/o the extension. Cause with AZ at least he has a CHANCE for an extension if he does well in 07. With us he has no chance and I doubt he’d get a 1-year deal in ’08 cause no team is gonna meet his price.
As far as incentives to waive his no-trade, as I see it he already has 2..
a) he’d be closer to home and in a warmer climate, which would help him pitch better
b) he’d get to go back to a place where he won a WS and is basically beloved as opposed to NY where he hates everyone and we hate him!
oh, actually make that 3 incentives..
c) he could grow the Magic Mullet back!
So I just don’t think this is the time for him to DEMAND an extension.
I also heard elsewhere that what was holding up the deal was the Yanks’ reluctance to pay a large chunk of his salary, but I really can’t see that being true. At his age, salary and health, why would Cash even entertain offers if he hadn’t resigned himself to eating some of the contract?
i am fine with him going to houston “any time that is possoble” as long as our ideas of when it is posible is on the same page! when the yankees are traveling there or arlington and he isnt pitching. but basically im still opposed to the idea of him having free reign to be where ever he wants when he isnt pitching and the team is on the road, let alone when at home….have fun at the orange bowl!! i used to go there for exebitions and other meaningless games but never for the actual orange bowl!!
There is a story today in the Daily News. It tells me we should never forget
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/484951p-408315c.html
it is mikee>> “demand” might be a tad harsh a word to use, im sure its more a “ill waive my no-trade if i can get another year gauranteed on my contract to continue my pursuit of 300.” he isnt stupid, he knows he has no chance at 20 wins this season, but its not completely off the wall to think that he will have a legit shot of compiling 20 wins over the next two seasons. while i understand where you are coming from thinking stats dont mean much to him, 300 wins for a pitcher is a magic number that almost solidifies your inductance to the hall and to think that he hasnt at least thought abt 300 would be a tad short sighted. if i were johnson i would look at it on two points: 1 this is going to be my last contract, im past my prime and everyone knows it, the likelihood of me getting another deal is slim to none, so lets get them to tack on one year so i can get my 300 wins and be a lock for the hall (which i think he might be anyway). 2 i left that team once to come here (to NY) and now you guys wanna ship me back?!? we never got a ring which is why i came here, you paint a horrible picture of me and give me all kinds of cr.ap, F you guys im not giving in unless i get something more out of this deal!! (and in this case its another year to play and more $$)
is it fair? maybe, maybe not, but it is his right. and you almost never see a player with a no-trade clause accept a trade without something being added (either an option year picked up or an extention, or maybe even a small sack of $20’s and $50’s off the books to blow on some coke…oh wait sorry this isnt the 80’s anymore). im just saying with so many players getting their “no trade clause” loins licked, why should johnson be any different.
I’m done with college apps!
sorry i didnt answer your whole post, also sorry i cant remember your name i just member your THE mike mussina is the smartest man in the world propriator andim in clined to agree, as to chas not being willing to pay a large chunck of johnsons salary, i agree with you that there is no way cash was thinking a complete salary dump, exactly how much the yanks need to pick up has been a point of interest. i remeber reading somewhere that the diamond backs only have abt 10k left in their budget to spend for pitching (meaning we would have to p/u abt 6k). while i dont think that has been the problem i think there is a reluctance to pay much more than that. if for instance the d-backs wanted the yankees to p/u 10k that would have a drastic impact on the quality of what we get in return. getting a pitcher (even an over the hill pitcher) of RJ’s caliber (from both a abilities standpoint and a marquee name stand point) is a big deal. especially for 6-10k in a market such as this one. esentially AZ couldnt possibly get involved if this were an open market (a check in the yankees favor) however they also arent going to give up a ton on a past-his-prime pitcher (check in AZ’s favor) so if we are on the hook for 10k the package of prospects should be different then if we were paying say 6k. 10k obviously happers our ability to go and get a replacement for this year meaning the yanks should get a little more in the vein of mlb ready prospects, if it were me making the call, i would want a C and 2 pitchers or a C, mlb ready P, and an OF. but thats wishful thinking….and i dont think we should be considering 10k for johnson, i like the 6k with 2 pitchers or a P & C (not a pirates stadium)….so to make a long post short (too late) while im sure cash is resigned to eating part of RJ’s contract exactly how much is still tobe determined….and could have a direct impact on signing a guy like clemens
*happers = hampers
darn! its not bad enough i ramble on forever but then i make stupid typos too…..
Happy New Year, folks.
Glad to see the blog is still working.` I have posted a few thoughts elsewhere but it is not the same. Though, I have been called stupid, I think, now on 5 different Yankee blogs.
I have read in a few places that Randy Johnson is due some $40 million in deferred compensation from the Diamondbacks and they are seeking to reduce the number through some type of extension.
I really have no tolerance for such blatant financial mismanagement. Randy Johnson is actually the Yankee player I dislike more than any other, maybe even hate. I disliked him before he came to the Yanks. Years before–way back when he left Seattle for Houston and the Yankees were a destination possibility. He is a cancer. Indeed, a talented pitcher of yore but a personality of a snake.
Anyhow, given my dislike for the man, I think he is due every penny he agreed to with Arizona. For them to renegotiate the amount to allow him the chance to reach 300 wins is abominable.
Owners who cry poor are just lying. Pure and simple, baseball is a cash cow. Further, 2006 was a tremendous revenue year for baseball. Arizona had an agreement and they should live up to it or forfeit the franchise. Maybe give RJ a piece of it at fair market value.
Hopefully Cashman has lines of communication open with the other NL West teams so this Johnson deal can get done with someone.
im inclined to agree with you paul. when you sign a player to a contract, you agree to pay him X dollars. he completes his end of the contract, now pony up and compensate the guy as you said you would, regardless of how nice a guy he is!
the mlb.com article seems to imply that AZ wants him to add a year to his deal w/o adding anymore money (to “make the financial end more palatable to the club”). now im not the savy buinessman that apparently these agents, general managers, and owners are, but there is no way i would extend the period of performance w/o extending the $$ associated with my work!
Dayn Perry on FOXSports has an article on 2007 free agents. He has Posada’s age wrong when he says Jorge is 34. Jorge turned 35 on August 17th, and will turn 36 before the 2007 season is over.
also sorry i cant remember your name i just member your THE mike mussina is the smartest man in the world propriator andim in clined to agree
Posted by: gnome_enthusiast@yahoo.com | January 2, 2007 05:21 PM
Haha yup, that’s me, and yup, Mussina is in fact the smartest man alive! My name is Gina BTW but feel free to call me Mrs. Moose LOL
Anyhoo, I guess all this stuff about Johnson wanting the extension is a moot point now, because the latest article on the main Yankee page says that AZ will in fact give him the extension! Good news, but now according to what Paul posted there is some quibbling about monies already owed to RJ by AZ. If that’s the case then I too hope the Yanks are talking to other teams. I did read the Dodgers were interested and I really hope they’re following up on that cause LA’s farm system is pretty well-stocked. As much as I think RJ is a detestable human being, it isn’t right for AZ to rip him off.
Anyhoo speaking of that article…what REALLY irked me is it said Yanks were interested in Ownings, Ohlendorf and another pitcher…why no interest in the 23 y/o catcher Montero?! I cannot understand why the Yanks have been so blase about the C position, like it doesn’t even exist, when in reality it is probably the most important position on the field.
Uuuuugh I’m not surprised stupid Dayn Perry got Posada’s age wrong. He is an idiot, a Yankee hater, and he doesn’t even know how to spell D-A-N so I guess it’s unsurprising for him to miss a fact of “2+2=4” simplicity.
That effer wrote an article about The All-Star Team of the Future and COMPLETELY omitted Cano at 2b, failing even to mention his name! Gawd I hate dumba**es.
Reports are that SD is trying a last-ditch effort to land RJ.
Mike, anything about what they’re willing to give us in return?
i know they are willing to eat almost all the salary!!
BTW where is everyone today? It’s dead in here! Mark said we could hang out here till 1/15 so I for one am planning on taking full advantage before I have to re-enter the Land of the Negative Nancy Anonymous Yankee bloggers! 😀
link below:
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01/03/sports/professional/padres/22_25_571_2_07.txt
it has been dead….oh well ill just wait till this folds then i will go back to boring old work!!
Thanks for the link!
Hmm they’re offering Linebrink..he does seem to be the guy that they dangle! I guess this depends on who else they’ll offer cause Linebrink’s 2006 ERA is 3.57, a number that’s bound to increase in the AL East. Plus, we are already overflowing with righty relievers. If this deal went through, would the Yanks then try to trade Proctor, I wonder?
Also, I must admit that when one player is repeatedly dangled as trade bait I do begin to get suspicious as to whether that team (the Padres in this case) sees something in the player that they don’t like. Can’t help but remember how the A’s traded Mulder and then he turned out to be a hotbed of injuries later, making it seem like Billy Beane knew something other GM’s didn’t. I don’t want that to happen to us with Linebrink!
Hi everybody.
I wouldn’t like to make a deal with the Padres, if we receive just Linebrink and a prospect for RJ.
I’d prefer to make trade him to the D’backs. I really like AZ kids, esp. Owings and Montero. I hope this deal can be done.
make trade him to the D’backs= make the trade with the D’backs. Sooooooooooooory
I want you to know this:
Yesterday began the post season in Mexican Winter League. There was a very good game. Los Mochis at Hermosillo. Bottom of the eight. Los Mochis 4, Hermosillo 3. 1 out. Men on first and second. Erubiel Durazo at bat. Deep flyball to RF. Runners go to 2nd and 3rd. 2 outs. Then, a big bat comes to the plate. Dominican releiver Claudio Galva on the mound. First pitch. BAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!! Homerun over the CF fence. Who was that big bat? OF COURSE!!!! Luis Alfonso García. I wonder, has he received an invitation to Spring Training Camp?????????
The link from the yankee site is removed, it’s hard to go out of your way to get to this site lol.
the one advantage to the padres is that they will eat more of the salary! a straight swap of linebrink and a prospect for RJ and us not paying any of the salary would be nice!! thats 16 mil to spend elsewhere or just cut from the budget completely….
also saw on espn last night that the redsox have agreed in principle to a deal with joel piniero. you have to wonder if they have a plan….
anyway, it was great to meet all of you. maybe our paths will cross again someday, feel free to email any good yankee rumors….maybe this blog (well, another one) will be attached to the main page soon, until then….
Finally, Eye-Chart will play for us. The agreement is very close. There’s an article from Bryan Hoch, who seems to be Mark’s replacement as the NYY MLB.com reporter. Here is the link
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070104&content_id=1772735&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
The NY Daily News is reporting it
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/485578p-408813c.html
I like the idea
Not only is Eye Chart coming, but it’s being reported that Loretta is going to sign with Houston.
That means the door is wide open for Cairo to return if he and Cashman get together.
…it is looking more and more likely that Bernie won’t be returning. The chances of Bernie coming back ebb with each passing day.
loretta seemed to be looking for starting work all along, texas said they couldnt give him playing time and implied that someone else was offering it to him, all i can say is lets get both mintchocalatechip and cairo signed!! RJ traded (either to SD or AZ, at this point lets just get it done)! and bring back SAL!!! finnally saw a snipet where colorado is considering him. “The Rockies are also preoccupied with landing a veteran backup catcher, with Javy Lopez, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Sal Fasano all under consideration.” direct from mlb.com
Agree, Mikee and Mike. I really hope Cairo will come back.
foulke and indians are official now it seems….
Tentative deal for the Unit reportedly reached.
I just saw that too, Alex.
From Pete Abe’s blog…
The Yankees have sent Randy Johnson to Arizona in exchange for four players according to several reports including Sweeny Murti on WFAN. The Yankees would get:
* RHP Luis Vizcaino (reliable reliever for the Diamondbacks last season)
* RHP Ross Ohlendorf (Princeton product and high-ceiling prospect)
* RHP Stephen Jackson (8-11, 2.65 in Class AA, rocked a bit in the Arizona Fall League)
* SS Alberto Gonzalez (40-man roster player, good glove)
Some initial thoughts: Landing Vizcaino could enable Cashman to move Scott Proctor. Based on nothing but statistics, Micah Owings seemed a better prospect than Ohlendorf but Ohlendorf is nothing to sneeze at.
The Yankees have not confirmed the trade as of yet.
Oh, and reportedly no money changed hands so we shed the $16 mill and gained some low figure contracts in return. Not a bad trade.
Johnson is gone. Yaaaay! He was the Yankee player I disliked above all others.
Not sure I know much about the players received but the thought of adding an NL West reliever and moving Scott Proctor is folly.
Would have preferred that Montero was in the package but it is safe to say that if he were available Cashman would have gotten him.
The signing of Mientkiewicz for 1B is not encouraging, though, but it is a sure sign that the defense will be better next year.
While months ago folks mocked me when I suggested RJ needed to be moved and would be convinced to go back to the NL, I will press the luck and suggest there is a market for Giambi somewhere and he can be convinced to waive his no trade.
Then after he is gone, one more to go. You-know-who.
I do know who you want to be traded, my dear Paul. But you also know who WON’T be traded. And, of course, we’re talking abou the same outstanding player.
So, seems RJ is not a Yankee anymore. GOOD!!!!!!! To me that means that some of the kids are going to be in the starting rotation, because we know how difficul it is to believe that Carl Pavano will be healthy. So we’ve got Wang, the Moose, Andy and Igawa. So, Rasner, Karstens and maybe Humberto Sánchez could be in the 5th spot. At least that we receive the surprise of the century, with Pavano taking the mound each week.
Here is a good story of the NY Daily News involving Canó and Melky.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/485497p-408776c.html
Or a rocket will land in NY now that RJ is gone?
Pete Abraham has informed that Johnny and Michelle Damon had a baby girl today. Devon Rose (7 pounds, 8 ounces) CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Paul, I’m given you props for the RJ trade prediction from last season.
Every Yankee fan I have come in contact with in the last several weeks has expressed a desire to see Johnson traded. Now we can all say:
Na na, na na na na, hey, hey, goodbye!
Im not sold on Eye chart. If he is the defensive upgrade we need and can hit .260-.280, then it’s a good signing. But I read that he is coming off from back surgery, which could affect his ability to field the ball at the same level he has previously. I hope no mobility has been lost, but we’ll have to see.
Whew! The link from the Yankees page may have disappeared, but the blog lives.
Yesterday was my 17th birthday (useless fact: I was born on the 70th anniversary of Babe Ruth becoming a Yankee), and the Yankees and Diamondbacks have hooked up to give me a belated brithday present. No more Randy Johnson-induced ulcers! Yay! I also got tickets to all 3 Yankees-Twins games here in Minnesota. Those should be fun.
I am unfamiliar with the 3 minor leaguers linked to the deal. Any details would be appreciated! Thanks!
I am content with throwing Eye Chart into the first base mix. Mientkiewicz has potential to be decent, the Yankees have 34782185610782758 other options at first base if he doesn’t work out.
Only 5ish weeks till pitchers and catchers report!
Happy birthday, Karl. And congrats for your tickets to the series between the Yanks and the Twins. Maybe you’ll be able to watch something unbelievable. Carl Pavano on the mound!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow…well 6 weeks ago i said this would never have happened, but good bye RJ!! i too would have liked to see owings on the list, but dropping 14 mil from the salary is nice!! as to Mintchocolatechip, i cant imagine Cash signing him if there are post-surgical issues. i would imagine that he will be put thru some rigorous testing before a contract is signed!
Happy belated birthday Karl!
Hope it was a good day.
Wow, 17 years old. I have containers in my refrigerator older than that. I remember when I was 17, but back then it was known as XVII.
Have a great year ahead!
Goooood morning everyone, and a good morning it is!!
JOHNSON GONE!!! Woot woot partay up in here! 😀 Good riddance, Saddlebags! (lol, mine and my friend’s nickname for him after the line from Ace Ventura: “Well why don’t you cry about it, Saddlebags?” heh.)
And Mintchocolatechip agreed to the 1 year deal we wanted! This is great news, I’m really happy to have him onboard, but nowhere near as happy as I am to have Johnson GONE!!!
My only gripe is, I STILL don’t understand why we seemingly had no interest in that 23 y/o catcher. (As many of you said, I would have liked Owings too, but oh well) I’m not satisfied with the backup situation and don’t understand why the Yanks seem to be ignoring the importance of the C position. Where on earth is Sal Fasano?
Ah well, happy thoughts only today, RJ is GONE!!! And congrats to Johnny and Michelle Damon on the little one! I’d like to propose a coffee toast?
Happy Birthday Karl!
dont know how i missed the happy na-na to karl, sorry dude…
Gina> Fasano update, apparently the Rockies are looking to bring him in. drats!! i dont think that not including that catcher was a part of Cash’s decision, i think that pitching was priorty number 1 and after the 2 pitchers were brought in AZ wouldnt have included the kid, but thats just my theory, im sure something will happen soon….then again who knows, maybe nieves will turn out to be the second coming of Jebus! (for those who dont know thats homer simpson’s name for Jesus im not bashing any religions)
Many of us would be happier with RJ trade if this move would involve Micah Owings. But I’ve found an article about Ross Ohlendorf that could change our minds. Seems to be a GREAT addition. According to this article, Ohlendorf, and not Owings, was the key prospect Cashman wanted. Here is the link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/485881p-409054c.html
And I agree with “Ginaforfirslady”. I’m worried about the backup catcher role. Maybe if we could convince Yogi……
Good story on Ohlendorf, Jorge. He sounds like he could be better than originally thought.
I would have preferred Montero but the Yankee braintrust knows more.
By the way the Daily News sports reporting will improve a lot with Mark over there. That story in successive paragraphs lists Ross O. as 24 then 25.
Well **** those Rockies straight to ****! Grrrrr
Honestly for the life of me I cannot understand their lacksadasicalness (woohoo I just made up a word) about obtaining a decent backup for Posada! They’ve now had the opportunity to get a better backup in TWO (count em two) different trades–first they could have gotten Wilson in the Sheffield trade, and then now w/Montero. I’m sure Cash at least TRIED to get at least Montero but for whatever reason it didn’t work out…aurgh.
I just don’t have much faith in Wil Nieves for whatever reason. He seems more and more like a career minor leaguer to me.
And Jorge, thanks for the encouraging article about Ohlendorf! Owings looked better to me but what do I know? My managerial intelligence is to Cashman’s as Kyle Farnsworth’s general intelligence is to Mike Mussina’s. 🙂
And speaking of Mussina, I embarrassed myself horribly before here at work, as I was in a daze thinking about the Yanks and specifically Mussina–then the phone rang and I actually started to answer it saying “Moose” instead of “can I help you” LOL. Fortunately I caught myself in time and only got the “Moo–” out but that probably made me sound even stranger….
According to Bryan Hoch, Mintchocolatechip is closer to the Bronx.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070104&content_id=1773359&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
I agree with Bryan when he says that Doug will be very helpful with many bad throws from Paul’s favorite Yankee.
BTW, anyone knows if Bryan Hoch will open a blog like this one?
Gina:
At least you didn’t answert the phone saying “Ginaforfirstlady”
answert = answer. Sorry
Been busy, but have been following the goings-on.
Ohlendorf is said to be the key to the deal 10-8, 3.29 at AA last year. Has a power sinker (remind you of anyone?) and is a big guy (Yanks getting a LOT of BIG pitchers–think Pettitte, Farnsworth, Sanchez, Betances, Ohlendorff, Hughes). His coach in high school was Keith Moreland, who played a few positions (inc. catcher) for a few teams, notably the Phils and Cubs.
His coach at Princeton was former major league catcher Scott Bradley.
It’s nice to see a pitcher come recommended by two former big league catchers.
Jackson is a power pitcher with a good slider. 8-10, 2.65 at AA after a rough 2005.
Gonzalez was said to be Arizona best defensive infield prospect in Dec. 2005. Apparently the glove is major league ready but the bat needs a little work despite a .290-6-50 AA season.
Vizcaino is a serviceable reliever who is 32 and was on the World Champ White Sox in 2005. 4-6, 3.58 in 70 games for Ariz. this year.
Some may think the Yanks should have received more, but you have to ask yourself…if you were the GM of ANOTHER team, what would you give up for a 43 year old coming off of a 5.00 ERA and back surgery?
Hopefully Vizcaino is OK and these kids develop.
People who think the Boss is running the show are deluding themselves. Just look at what Cashman has done. He got rid of $36 million in Wright, Sheff (38) and Randy (43) and brought in Britton, Sanchez, Whelan, Claggett, Ohlendorf, Jackson, Vizcaino (7 pitchers!) and Gonzalez. I’d have loved a backup catcher, but you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Not to mention using some of that $ to bring in Pettitte and Igawa.
…and yes, I see Eye Chart signed for a year at a reasonable price—$1.5 mil.
And now Mientkzqdrtsgñlopkjféygzsnmtráwickz is not just close to the Yankees. He is now a New York Yankee. It’s been officially announced in a conference call with reporters. Welcome to the ship, Douglas
David Wells could go back to the Padres.
Chris Reitsma signed a one year deal with the Mariners.
Daniel Cabrera reached a one year agreement with the Orioles.
Since the Rangers missed out on Mark Loretta, they’ve signed Jerry Hairston Jr. to a Minor League contract.
Juan Uribe (White Sox) could miss all season because a judge ordered him to make court appearences twice a month because of a shooting case he was involved.
CAIRO RETURNS
Yanks sign Miguel Cairo to a 1 year deal worth $750,000
Yanks are basically set—- and right now, the news for Bernie is not good.
The only positions up for grabs are the righty platoon at 1b to go with Eye Chart (easier than Mientkiewicz). Phelps or Phillips?
Phillips is out of options—just a heads up there.
The other spot is backup Catcher—Nieves or Chavez (I’m not happy here–neither impress me).
So if you are going 13 players/12 pitchers, you have
C Posada/Nieves or Chavez (2)
DH Giambi
1b Eye Chart/Phelps or Phillips (2) (If Phelps or Phillips could play a corner OF spot, it would help their cases)
2b Cano
UT Cairo
SS Jeter
3b Alex
OF Matsui-Damon-Abreu-Melky (4)
That makes 13. No room for Bernie. It looks like the writing is on the wall here. I hope he decides to retire.
Good news about Cairo back. I feel he is a dependable utility guy as well as a useful rally maintainer.
Gina will be happy. I am concerned about her answering the phone at work with a “Moo!” Unless she works at a dairy or meet sales office, I think it might deter her career. Unless she secretly moved to Wisconsin or Minnesota where “Moo!” is just a polite greeting.
Sad, but it is time for Bernie to retire. Some on other blogs are screaming for the Yanks to trade Melky so Bernie has a spot. But I think those are all the Red Sox troll in 1281238123821 names. Bernie is really not able to adequately field and can only effectively hit from one side now.
Were the Yanks able to move Giambi to another team despite his awful contract and no trade that could free up a spot.
There is something wrong with having 3 1B players taking up roster spots with one of them unable to play the field. Fortunately Cairo is the 5th OF but I would prefer Kevin Thompson in that role with Cairo there also. Giambi really limits the team.
Sure he can hit, sometimes, and he seems to be a good guy, but the team is really limited on its flexibility.
Agree with you Paul. Having someone who is a full-time DH and who doesn’t play the field limits flexibility. Even if that person is a top-notch bat like Edgar Martinez was with Seattle.
I also wish that the 1b situation had a full time player rather than a platoon and that Thompson was the 5th of—if only for his speed.
If I had to guess, the lineup will probably look like this
Damon (L)
Jeter (R)
Abreu (L)
Alex (R)
Giambi (L)
Matsui (L)
Posada (S)
Cano (L)
Eye Chart (L)/Phelps or Phillips (R)
I’d rather have Cano at 7 and Posada 8, but you may have to break the lefties up, hence Cano is at 8.
CAIRO RETURNS
Yanks sign Miguel Cairo to a 1 year deal worth $750,000
Posted by: yankeefan1@enter.net | January 6, 2007 09:41 AM
Mike: Where did you find this? I haven’t found nothing but preliminary rumors.
Pete Abraham’s blog.
Another blog reporting it is here.
http://mvn.com/mlb-yankees
Thanks, Mike. And now it is also in NYY official site
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070106&content_id=1774125&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
So, the sad notice is that the time to say goodbye and THANK YOU to Bernie Williams has arrived
Seems RJ deal is almost sealed
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070105&content_id=1774105&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
Hey everybody, Happy New Year! Congrats, Mark, on the new job. Thanks for starting this community. Your work here is done.
*Who was that masked man?*
With all the Randy Johnson news, I had to go back and look:
Count me in on Moose coming back. Replace a couple of the others, but keep Mussina.
If Randy wants to keep pitching maybe someone can convince him a move back to NL would be in his best interests toward the 300 wins goal. Then we can trade him to St. Louis or someone else that needs pitching (yes, we’d have to eat some of his salary) and maybe get a decent prospect in return.
Posted by: ataustin@aol.com | October 7, 2006 08:33 PM
Great idea, ataustin, I agree. The Yankees would have to be more committed to picking up a big arm this offseason if that were to happen, though.
Posted by: jjc11293@msn.com | October 7, 2006 08:34 PM
Andy that is a great idea about trading RJ for prospects. And we wouldn’t even be lying to him, he WOULD have a better chance in the NL to pitch well, get a 1yr extension and get his 300 wins. And we all know that is all he cares about anyway. He certainly has no sense of loyalty to the Yankees or pride in the pinstripes he wears. At least I don’t think so. If I never see his face again it would be too soon.
Posted by: a24diun@yahoo.com | October 7, 2006 08:41 PM
And now they need to assemble a pitching staff and maybe convince RJ to retire or be a reliever on a restructured contract.
As some would say, fat chance on RJ, but maybe worth a try.
His best chance for 20 wins is in the NL….
Posted by: paul1040@aol.com | October 10, 2006 01:35 PM
Don’t you love it when they listen to us?
Some people are arguing against the Cairo signing. They argue for Cannizaro or another minor leaguer.
My response???
We are talking about a utility infielder. If you really want to talk about someone who really wasn’t that good as a backup infielder, take a look at the 1977-1978 Yanks and look at Fred Stanley.
1977 48 games 12 for 46, 1 hr 7 rbi. 1 sb
1978 81 games 160 ab. .219-1-9 0 sb
Cairo hits better than Stanley ever did and runs far better.
Go back further.
1961. 2b Richardson played 161 g, ss Kubek 145, Boyer 141 at 3b (12 at ss)
The backups?
Billy Gardner 33 at 3b 6 at 2b.
.212-1-2 .571 OPS 0 SB
Joe DeMaestri 18 at SS, 5 at 2b, 4 at 3b
6 for 41, all singles, 2 rbi. 0 SB
1996
Andy Fox .196-3-13, 11 sb.
2000
Clay Bellinger .207-6-21
Sojo was ok, but never had the speed that Cairo has.
Miggy ain’t the greatest, but he is versatile, can steal a base (13 of 14 last year) and can play some littleball. Let’s face it…the Yanks haven’t played littleball very well the last few years. It’s ok to bash, but you also have to bunt, run the bases (steal and take the extra bases), etc. as well.
So…compared to the guys I listed above…
I’ll take Cairo.
I should have also listed Enrique Wilson’s seasons, like 2002 .181-2-11
Looking at the minor league infield prospects, there were no infielders at AAA or AA that were impressive. That’s one reason Gonzalez is coming in the RJ deal. Do yourself a favor. Go to milb.com and LOOK at the minor league stats.
Cannizaro is a weak stick. (.276-3-32 in AAA) with no speed (6 for 11 in SB). 28 years old, so he isn’t a youngster. He was the BEST INFIELDER at AAA. Danny Garcia hit .242 at Columbus last year. It gets worse from there.
So there wasn’t that much at AAA. I saw a few games at AA Trenton, and 2b Gabe Lopez hit .263 at AA. He is not ready for the majors and I doubt if he ever will be. Kevin Howard hit .255. J. T. Stotts, .228. Felix Escalona stunk at AAA, went down to AA and only hit .254. Those are AA batting averages. Not impressive. Cairo is the best option.
Truth is, you would hope that Cano, Jeter and A-Rod play probably 154 or more games each out of the 162. That leaves Miggy to play 8 games each at 2b, ss and 3b. Cairo’s main role would not be to PLAY very much but to pinch run for Giambi or Posada late in close ballgames.
In the past 3 seasons, Cairo is 37 for 44 in SB.
Last year, Cano missed 34 straight games due to his hamstring injury.
Cairo started 27 of those 34 games. The Yanks record in those games was 20-7.
The games Cairo didn’t start in? Nick Green started. The Yanks’ record in those games was 3-4.
Seems to me that Miggy did ok filling in.
Hey Mark, was that cowboys game as good for you as it was for me? That may have been worse than when the ‘skins beat them……Hey Russ, how is Tony Romo now? You see what karma does to a team? Cowgirls lift their skirts again!
Welcome to earth Romo.
Nobody try telling me the giants will lose tomorrow….I accepted that after the Titans game. However…..At least we still have a CHANCE to win! hahahahahahah.
Ouch Russ.
Hi everyone (or should I be saying Moo???)
Anyway, how bout those Cowboys?! Hehehe!
I am very glad to see Cairo back in New York. He and Sojo are my favorite utility players.
Thank you for all of the belated birthday wishes.
If this is the end for Bernie, it’s too bad it had to end this way, but baseball is the business, and the Yankees need to put out the best 25 people they can next year. Sadly, that does not include Berine following the recent signings. Thanks for all you’ve done, Bernie.
Jorge: I could see Carl Pavano on the mound??!! Frightening! I won’t believe it till I see it with my own eyes, and even then…
Crazy as it may seem, there is one Yankee pitcher I saw pitch who I disliked far more: K**** B****. He naturally blew a big lead to the Twins and lost. Ugh, bad memories.
Daily News reports that Ex-Yank Aaron Guiel will play in Japan in 2007.
Show tonight is prerecorded to due Giants/Eagles game. 6 p.m. Listen at your convenience.
Moo–er, I mean, HELLO, everyone! You all know me well enough, I think, to know that what I’m about to say will be fraught with exclamation points …
MIGGY IS BAAAAAAACK!!! wooooooohoo!!!! The best utilityman in baseball returns home where he belongs!!! Ahhhh life is goood! !!!!! !! 😀
Haven’t checked Pete’s blog lately, but I’m sure many of the mental midgets there are bashing our man Miggy as usual. Mike, thank you for your continued defense of him and willingness to go back and find numbers proving that Miggy is THE BEST! LOL I can’t believe someone seriously advocated The Face of the Yankees (aka Cannizaro, lol) to be signed instead of Miggy? Seriously, are they on glue?!
Oh, and nice screwup by the overrated Tony Romo last night! woot woot Cowgirls lose, Miggy’s back, Johnson’s gone….all is right in the world, and could only be more right were Mike Mussina to be sworn into his rightful spot as 44th President of the United States! (or failing that, plain old Dominator of the Universe would suffice too.)
Anyhoo, keeping my fingers crossed for a Giants win today, but I’ve definitely prepared myself sufficiently for a loss also. All that matters is the Cowgirls lost, and Cairo is BACK! Woohoo WELCOME BACK MIGGY!!!!
Oh and on another football note….I cannot believe how quickly writers are now lining up to fellate the mediocre Colts D, just because it did a good job yesterday. Please, it did a good job against a HIGHLY mediocre team who only backed into the playoffs via a Broncos loss. Let’s see them play decent D against the Patriots, Ravens or Chargers before these writers start talking about Indy’s “suddenly great D.” I cannot stand when people jump the gun like this ala earlier this season with the claims that Romo was the best thing since sliced bread. Let’s see these guys triumph in tough situations before we roll out the red carpet for them.
Yaay, Patriots won! Very tough game next week against possibly the best team in football this year, the San Diego Chargers.
Sorry for the Dallas fans that your team did not move on. Also best wishes for Giants fans to beat Philly, though as I write this at half time the Eagles lead by 7.
Oops, forgot to say, Moo!
Yeah, I was the guest this week.
Moooo! well looks like Fasano is still out there….the only team i had heard him associated with was the Rockies….but courtesy of mlb.com and thier hotstove coverage: “Colorado’s search for an experienced backup catcher has apparently ended at Javy Lopez. The Denver Post reports that the 36-year-old veteran may sign a contract as early as Monday.” Sal calls a great game, and seemed to handle the pitchers well (not surprising as that has always been his strength). Why are we not considering bringing him back??? does Cash truly have that much faith in Nieves and Chaves, or is this a “one of these guys is going to inherit the position from Posada eventually, might as well get them some experience” thought process??
I really like the way our team is looking. The only hole for me, and I’m sure for many of us, is the backup catcher. Let’s hope Cash make his job and bring here an efficient backup catcher.
A news confference this afternoon to introduec Kei Igawa. He will be there with his new hair look. “I feel refreshed”, Igawa said.
RJ deal pending just on physicals. 1 year extension. $26 mill.
thought it was a two year extention….could be wrong, but i thought thats what i was reading
upon further review, you seem to be right, it says a two year deal everywhere but refers to this year (which i thought he was already under contract for) and next year. not sure i understand it all but i guess the restructuring of the finacial ends of the contract make it a NEW contract, crazy….i guess thats why i will never be a lawyer….
Mikee, one year extension making it a two year deal, worth 26 million. he is due to make 16 next season, 2 of which comes from the yankees, but with restructuring, i think the d backs pay him 10 this year and the rest next year…i’m not sure what they do with the 40 deferred that they still owe him from his previous contract. I could be wrong but I am certain it is a two year, 26 million deal with the 2nd year being an extension.
You’re right Vince. That’s how it is going
BTW, how do you all think our pitching staff will look like next season?
To me:
No. 1 – Chien Ming Wang
No. 2 – Andy Pettitte
No. 3 – Mike Mussina
No. 4 – Kei Igawa
No. 5 – Carl Pavano
And the seven relievers
1- Mariano Rivera
2- Scott Proctor
3- Kyle Farnsworth
4- Brian Bruney
5- Mike Myers (we need a lefty)
6- ??????
7- ??????
I mean, for 6th and 7th spots we have
1- Jeff Karstens
2- Darrell Rasner
3- Chris Britton
4- Luis Vizcaíno
5- José Veras
This leaves the kids (Hughes, Ohlendorf, Sánchez, etc still in AAA). But there’s only ONE lefty arm in the bullpen. So, don’t you think there will still be another movement? Will Villone return? In that case, who will be the sacrificed?
****, I am busy. Job hunting for myself, and since I have a brother laid off, I’ve been helping HIM (at the expense of my own time, but what can you do)…
Anyway, I’m not happy with the backup C position, and have advocated getting Todd Greene back. I’d really like to start grooming someone younger but as of now, hmm….Nieves and Chavez aren’t the “Grooming” type, they are like the Fasanos, Greenes, etc.
I’d love to get a lefty reliever to go along with Mike “Austin Powers” Myers, because as of now the Yanks don’t have one. Vizcaino apparently takes over Villone’s role. There is talk of Sean Henn being a lefty reliever but I am not happy with that.
I think the Gonzalez deal is dead. As of now, Melky stays and there is no room for Bernie. The writing is on the wall for Bernie. I think the only way he returns is if the Yanks trade Melky, and I can’t see that. Bernie can’t fill in at all 3 spots like Melky can, esp. in CF.
Randy–1 year extension on top of this year. Anyone who would give a two year extension to a 43 year old is nuts.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Yanks and Red Sox are stacking up against each other. Much will be made of Boston’s pitching…you figure Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefild & Papelbon with Tavarez, Donnelly and Piniero, but let me ask you something…where’s the lefty?
Meanwhile the Yanks’ lineup will, for the most part, only have two pure righty batters in it…Jeter and Alex. The rest will all be lefties or switch-hitters. Interesting.
Getting tons of spam. Hate spam.
Our local media still stinks. One local radio show had the following errors in the last 2 weeks.
The host said Loaiza was on Washington. Nope. He’s on the A’s.
Host couldn’t remember who Soriano signed with (Cubs)
Same host said Tony Conigliaro died of cancer. Nope. Tony C. had a massive heart attack days before he turned 37 and went into a coma. Had he arrived at the hospital a few minutes later he would have died. He got out of the coma but never fully recovered and he died 8 years later.
thanks for the clarification on the 2 year deal/one year extention!!
i believe we will resign villone, tho news on that front has cooled as well, i havent heard his name with anyone in a while! and i beleive vizcaino will be there as well. veras is prolly the most likely to be “sacrificed” tho i dont think he is out of options and will more than likely be at AAA with karstens,ras, britton, hughes, and the rest! wonder if anyone has ever done a study on best AAA pitching staffs of all time….
Remember our old friend, my countryman, Karim García? He received an invitation to join Colorado Rockies’ training camp. He is playing now Mexican Winter League post season.
well looks like Fasano is still out there….
Posted by: gnome_enthusiast@yahoo.com | January 8, 2007 09:04 AM
Fantastic! Now let’s turn their loss into our gain. Read: which one of us is gonna dress up as Brian Cashman (while the real Cash is being held captive in Andrew’s basement) and sign him?!
LOL @ the idea of Javy Lopez still being an effective C. Ohhh, and don’t we play the Rockies in interleague this year? Yay for 3 games of running on Lopez’s arm! 😀
Anyway as for the C situation in general, I cannot imagine that Cash actually thinks that either Nieves or Chavez could be groomed as the future everyday. My guess is he’s just trying to bide his time till a decent FA catcher comes on the market.
As far as the question marks in the bullpen, I think Vizcaino is certain to get one of the remaining spots. The thing is tho, I’m not really satisfied either with him taking Villone’s role over. It’s great and all that he’s effective against lefties, but I’d still prefer to have an actual lefty on hand too! the Gonzalez deal does appear to be dead, THANK GOODNESS, Melky stays, so I REALLY don’t understand why they don’t just go ahead and re-sign Villone.
I’m gonna guess that the last relief spot that Jorge had as a ? will be filled by Britton, but I’d REALLY like to see Veras get a chance to earn that job as well. I really liked what we saw from him last year. Karstens and Rasner, while both promising, neither one really throws hard enough to be an ideal reliever so I think that one would be the 5th starter when Pavano bruises the other buttcheek, lol, and the other would be in the minors as a September callup.
oh and a big PLEASE NO to Sean Henn!
Igawa has a VERY thick accent.
Yes, Gina. The Yanks go to Colorado this year.
They also go to SF. Hopefully one (or more) of our pitchers brushes Barry back and knocks him on his keister.
There is, of course, the home and home 6 games against the Mets.
Coming into Yankee Stadium are the Pirates and the D-Backs.
It’ll be interesting to see and hear the “reception” Randy gets.
Oh yeah. I did send Bryan Hoch (Mark’s replacement) an e-mail via the mailbag asking him if he was going to continue this blog under a different name or start a new one. We’ll see what he does.
My dear Mike. There is no doubt that GREAT minds think alike. I’ve done the same thing. I sent Bryan an email talking about the incredible community we have over here. I hope he open a new site. Anyway, in just one more week, our friend Mark Feinsand will have his new Blog in the NY Daily News site.
Igawa has been officialy introduced as the new member of the crew. Here is the link
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070108&content_id=1775099&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
Moo!
Today, January 8, was the birthday of my grandfather and also Elvis Presley, but I learned on the Was Watching blog it is also the 31st birthday of Carl Pavano.
I posted the following there and am sharing it with you here.
Unfortunately, while celebrating his birthday with a small collection of supermodels, media flacks, and sundry assistants, Carl Pavano attempted to impress the revelers with his amazing cat-like quickness. He attempted to lick the frosting from the corner of his birthday cake before blowing out the candles and accidentally ignited his hair.
An emergency room nurse at the local hospital, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said that Pavano is undergoing treatment for 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his scalp, face, shoulders, and buttocks, a punctured eardrum by a birthday candle, a dislocated shoulder resulting from wild flailing immediately after ignition, and general rug burns all over his body, possibly from an attempt to extinguish the fire.
A New York Yankee spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
Maybe you’re not too far from reality, Paul
Today happens to be the b/day of Jason Giambi==36.
GATORS!!!
Tastes like chicken.
Moo everyone! 😀
Mike, I cannot wait until the Yanks go to SF..at LEAST one of our pitchers had best brush Bonds back, I am fully expecting Farnsy to throw down in some way or the other and I’d love to see BAMF and possibly Britton, if he’s around, get in on the action too! Times like these make me miss Jeff Nelson, you can be sure he would take care of bidness!
Anyhoo guys, that was a good idea to e-mail Bryan Hoch and ask him to continue the blog, I think I’ll do that too. I love posting here because it is actually the first forum to discuss the Yanks I’ve ever encountered in which the majority of posters are positive and upbeat rather than being Negative Nancys. I’m more than willing to give the Daily News blog a shot but if it turns into a bunch of randoms spewing doom and flinging personal insults around, then I’m out of there faster than a rotund Sidney Ponson would be out of a dodgeball game. Plus I enjoy this blog b/c we meander off topic every so often, which is what made us all good cyber-pals in the first place. I’ll support Mark’s work with the News fo sho, but it’d be nice to still have a place like this around!
And in the spirit of meandering off topic, I have a random question for everybody. My friend and I are having the mother of all debates via e-mail as to what the top 10 Beatles songs are (since they have so many great ones.) Anyone care to weigh in on this issue? Here is my top 10 list:
1. It’s Only Love
2. Here Comes the Sun
3. A Day in the Life
4. Helter Skelter
5. Something
6. She’s Leaving Home
7. Eight Days A Week
8. Eleanor Rigby
9. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
10. In My Life
Oh, and who’s your favorite Beatle? George Harrison gal here!
It’s subjective, Gina. I have just about EVERYTHING by them, inc. some bootlegs and hard to find singles.
My favorite song is Hey Jude.
My favorite LP (surprise) is Rubber Soul.
John was probably my favorite.
I’ve seen Paul in concert twice.
Some rarities I have.
Original UA LP of A Hard Day’s Night USA..the one that spent 14 weeks at #1.
The Beatles Story (2 LP documentary of the band that reached #7 in Dec. 1964…another original
Some LPs seem to be out of print now that the CDs came out…like the Hey Jude LP, Rock and roll Music, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, Live at the BBC, Love Songs, Rarities, Past Masters I and II, maybe you can find them but it’s not easy. I have them.
John’s Live Peace in Toronto…original with 1970 calendar, the avant garde ****…Original Wedding Album, have Two Virgins and Life with the Lions, Menlove Avenue,
Paul’s original singles of Mary Had a Little Lamb, Give Ireland Back to the Irish, We All Stand Together (rare stuff). I have a RUSSIAN (Melodiya records) LP of the Russian album (Back in the USSR)…Later Paul released it on CD for America. Have his “Fireman” avant garde stuff and 3 of the classical stuff
I have an appt., so I have to run. Basically, I may not have EVERYTHING….but maybe 90%???
A great bootleg is Cold Cuts.
Gotta run. Later!
Oh…let me know what George you are interested in, and I can tell you if I have that. I do have Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound!
I do have each Beatle appearance on the Ed Sullivan show on video (inc. the REHEARSAL for the 2/16/64 show) and other rare clips.
In short, I know the Beatles as well as I know the Yankees!
🙂
Moo!
I asked Bryan to continue the blog too as I responded to his mailbag this week.
By my early estimation he is a good writer. I read his mailbag and two articles he wrote and I like his style. Whether he continues the blog or not I think we will have some good writing.
The Daily News blog format did allow anonymous persons which is the bane of all of the blogs. Pete changed his to registration but the troll has registered at least 20 different names that I could recognize so far.
One of the worst aspects of the Daily News blog that Sam Borden had was some idiot would rant repeatedly about another Daily News writer, Lupica. I don’t read his stuff but it was off topic on Sam’s blog.
Sam did not participate that much so I think Mark will keep it more active.
I think within the hour the Hall of Fame selections will be known.
Already it was reported one Chicago sports writer sent in a blank ballot. What is it about Chicago sports writers? It is a major city–third largest int he US. Can’t they find real journalists?
The writer said he sent it in blank because of steroid use.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6351216
The Beatles? Wow, that is a tough question.
As a kid, Paul was my favorite. Maybe because of the name. As I got older, I got to appreciate the song writing of John Lennon as well as the musicianship of the Beatles. What seemed like simple tunes as a child revealed themselves in greater complexity as I gained more experience in appreciating music.
Will the Beatles be the present time’s Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, in creating comtemporary music that will survive for centuries forward?
By the way, John’s musical talent stands in stark juxtaposition to his wife’s screeching sounds of terror she and some apparently deaf afficianados refer to as her music.
Favorite Beatle songs, among others, in no particular order:
Penny Lane
Eleanor Rigby
Norwegian Wood
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
With a Little Help From My Friends
Come Together
Here Comes the Sun
Yesterday
Taxman (but of course)
But it is difficult to choose just 10. I could pick 10 other songs tomorrow.
you ever get the feeling that some writers vote certain ways so they can garner more attention….like the guy who put DJ 6, no one would have been talking to him or cared much abt his oppinion at all until he put DJ so low, and now with this, no national outlet would have picked up this story abt his ballot had he voted normally, but he tries to make some statement and now he is national news….makes me wonder if his statement is just a guise for some spotlight time….
as to the beatles
eleanor rigby, come together, yesterday, here comes the sun, L.S.D (lucy in the sky….).
they did have a profound impact on the culture of their day. mostly you could devide ppl into beatles fans or stones fans….but the sign of being a mozart or bach, or any other “major” artistic influence is not necisarily (by now you all know i cant spell for c.r.a.p.) talent, but their impact on their current “pop” culture (i wont call culture in mozart and bach’s days pop culture), and on the music, art, writings, that followed. then again by that logic, brittny spears is a bach/mozart so maybe im wrong…
If they wanted attention, they got it negatively. I think this latest one was more of a “steroid rewarding statement” in that he will have none of it and people should follow along….Of course when a guy has 3,141 hits, a .338 career average and was NOT ahomerun hitter, it is a little disheartening to punish him for the players of his time, I consider that a little counterproductive. Especially when the other guy played more consecutive games than anybody on the planet in any sport, I don’t think a roid head could pull that off, these guys are clean.
Anyway, Brittany spears isn’t in the same universe as the beatles, not only because she is pure white trash and finally had a meltdown I wanted from day one, but also because she was popular from, what, 1998-2003? Five years? The beatles wrote their own lyrics, played their own instruments and did not have computers to enhance anything about their music, nor did they have choreographers, or as solid of makeup artists or,I think you get the point. Brittany spears was a tool, nothing more, and she will never amount to anything more than a carefully planned joke on american societies money.
Anyway, I like Paul the most and I saw him in concert in 2005, he’s still got it.
top songs (no order, just my favorites, I have debated with myself for four years now as to my favorite beatles song and failed, deciding it depends on my mood)
1. Here comes the sun
2. obla dee
3. While my guitar gently weeps
4. eleanor rigby
5. I am the walrus
6. Lucy in the sky with diamonds
7. Their version of Twist and Shout
8. Hey Jude
9. I saw her standing there
10. Revolution
And it goes on and on and on from there…
By and large, baseball writers are a bunch of ______ (expletive deleted).
Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken were elected but many deserving others were once again snubbed.
Rich Gossage
Jim Rice
Andre Dawson
Bert Blyleven
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Tommy John
i never said brit wasnt white trash but she did hit levels of mass hysteria for “fans” as well as repopularizing that genre, think of the swarms since her: christina aguilera, mandy moore, jessica simpson…we could keep going but i think you get the idea, im not saying she is talented or that she is some godsend, but she has had an impact on culture, and inspired many other “musicians” (glorified singers who could write their own music to save their lives) and brought rebirth to her musical genre. whether you like her “music” or not (an dont misunderstand, i abhor it and her) to say that she didnt have an impact (which is the only place i compared her to anyone else) is ludicrous!
have they listed the actual percentages anywhere yet for everyone else, i mean i could go and read each article for each player who didnt get elected on mlb.com but is there one article anywhere that sums everyone’s totals on one page….
Hi everybody.
The beatles wrote their own lyrics, played their own instruments and did not have computers to enhance anything about their music, nor did they have choreographers, or as solid of makeup artists or,I think you get the point.
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | January 9, 2007 02:11 PM
AAAAAAMEEEEEEEEENNNNNNN!!!!!
My 15 favorite Beatles songs (not in order)
Hey Jude
In my life
Eight days a week
Penny Lane
Eleanor Rigby
Yesterday
Something
I saw her standing there
Come together
Let it be
Strawberry Fields
The fool on the hill
All you need is love
Twist and shouts
Can’t buy me love
My favorite Beatle? No doubt about it. The one and only MR. JOHN LENNON
GOOD NEWS!!!!! No turn back at all. It is sealed and done
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1775656&vkey=pr_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari
Ripken and Gwynn get in. Ripken does NOT surpass Seaver’s record percentage.
Gossage misses by 21 votes. He does get over 70% of the vote.
It looks like Goose should get in next year. The main person coming on in 2008 is Tim Raines. While I think that Raines deserves to get in the HOF, he won’t be a first ballot inductee. Raines may have to wait several years.
2009—Rickey Henderson will get in on the 1st ballot. (…and that’s why I think Raines is a hall of famer. Raines was 2nd only to Rickey in the 1980s and early 1990s as far as a leadoff guy is concerned, and is one of the best ever).
As for McGwire? Just 23.8% of the vote (75% is nec. for induction.)
Got to go. Eyes dilated from optometrist appt. So if anything looks funny above….I have an excuse…LOL
lol McGwire got DENIED
2007 Hall of Fame voting results
The complete vote
(545 ballots, 409 needed for election):
Cal Ripken 537 98.5%
Tony Gwynn 532 97.6%
Rich “Goose” Gossage 388 71.2%
Jim Rice 346 63.5%
Andre Dawson 309 56.7%
Bert Blyleven 260 47.7%
Lee Smith 217 39.8%
Jack Morris 202 37.1%
Mark McGwire 128 23.5%
Tommy John 125 22.9%
Steve Garvey 115 21.1%
Dave Concepcion 74 13.6%
Alan Trammell 73 13.4%
Dave Parker 62 11.4%
Don Mattingly 54 9.9%
Dale Murphy 50 9.2%
Harold Baines 29 5.3%
Orel Hershiser 24 4.4%
Albert Belle 19 3.5%
Paul O’Neill 12 2.2%
Bret Saberhagen 7 1.3%
Jose Canseco 6 1.1%
Tony Fernandez 4 0.7%
Dante Bichette 3 0.6%
Eric Davis 3 0.6%
Bobby Bonilla 2 0.4%
Ken Caminiti 2 0.4%
Jay Buhner 1 0.2%
Scott Brosius 0
Wally Joyner 0
Devon White 0
Bobby Witt 0
Ok…who are The IDIOTS who voted for Ken Caminiti, Bobby Bonilla, Dante Bichette, Jay Buhner, etc.
If I remember correctly, you need 5 percent to stay on the ballot.
I goofed above. 23.5% for McGwire, not 23.8.
My bio teacher today gave me a 17/20 when I really should have gotten a 19/20 so I acted a foo.
Funny that the Beatles topic came up today. I got the Capitol Albums Vol. 1 for Christmas and I’ve been listening to them in my car for the last week. It’s the first time in years I’ve spent extended time listening to them because I used to play them so much they became routine. It was good to take time away because now they sound better than ever! I still remember all the words, too…
Any top ten list of Beatles favorites would change from day to day. Some days it’s Hey Jude and Let It Be, some days it’s Rocky Racoon and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. Overall, I tend to be partial to the McCartney love songs.
Here’s a list, good today only:
Hey Jude
Yesterday
Do You Want To Know A Secret?
Ticket To Ride
Get Back
Let It Be
I Saw Her Standing There
If I Fell
Blackbird
I’ve Just Seen A Face
Things We Said Today
Here There And Everywhere
I’ll Follow The Sun
I Will
Ok, what other rarities?
Yes, I have original 45s. Beatles Movie Medley (1982), the original Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane single, a copy of She Loves You/I’ll Get You on SWAN…I don’t think 1st pressing, but definitely at least a 2nd or 3rd pressing from 1964, orig. The Long and Winding Road single,
Yes, I have both Traveling Wilburys cds, as well as their version of “Nobody’s Child” on a charity various artists cd.
George’s All Those Years Ago, Got My Mind Set on You and When We Was Fab singles
John’s Just Like Starting Over, Nobody Told Me,
Paul No Other Baby, Press, Hi Hi Hi, No More Lonely Nights, Another Day, Take It Away, Mull of Kintyre (B side here), Goodnight Tonight, Spies Like Us, Coming Up, Say Say Say, Ebony and Ivory
all orig. 45s.
The McCartney II lp was originally intended to be a double album. I have the bootleg of what the lp was supposed to be. Very avant-gardish synth-pop.
I don’t have the Capitol Albums Vol. 1 or Vol 2. CDS because I have the LPs those CDS are based on.
I might be missing one or two of Ringo and the All Starr Band stuff, but ask me if I have something and odds are that I do.
One thing I’ve heard but can’t find because it would be a boot is George’s version of Dylan’s Abandoned Love. Gorgeous. (or is it Georgeous?)
I do have some stuff by Sean and Julian Lennon. Not much. Some stuff isn’t bad. I don’t have Dhani Harrison’s.
Have hundreds (literally) of 45s, LPs and CDS. Area of Expertise? 1955-1975. Drops off 1975-1985. After 1985 I’m not so hot. I did major in broadcasting and did dj for a little while. Myself and a couple of friends were and are oldies afficionados.
I should mention that I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The whole top floor was all John Lennon stuff. About 15 of his guitars were on the wall. I had to restrain myself from wanting to take one down and play it (HA HA)… Original manuscripts of songs, clothes, other stuff…I was in heaven.
But one exhibit was chilling. It was the glasses John wore the night he was killed…complete with his dried blood still on them. Chilling to say the least.
More…(sorry)…the Rock and Roll Hall also had the Drum head from one of Ringo’s bass drums, George’s 1st guitar,…
The exhibit on Lennon was an exhibit that I believe ran Oct. 2000-Sept. 2001. I was there in May 2001.
More…(sorry)…the Rock and Roll Hall also had the Drum head from one of Ringo’s bass drums, George’s 1st guitar,…
The exhibit on Lennon was an exhibit that I believe ran Oct. 2000-Sept. 2001. I was there in May 2001.
Very interesting, Mike. You do not have to feel sorry at all.
I remembered that some of us made some predictions when Hall of Fame ballots were knew. I made this exercise.
These are players on my ballot, if I were to have a ballot.
Rich Gossage, Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Don Mattingly, Lee Smith, Tony Gwynn, Jack Morris, Dave Parker, Jim Rice
Posted by: paul1040@aol.com | November 27, 2006 12:58 PM
My ballot would be this:
Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, Don Mattingly, Rich Gossage, Lee Smith, Tommy John, Dave Concepción, André Dawson,
Steve Garvey, Jack Morris
Posted by: jtorresmesias@hotmail.com | November 27, 2006 01:44 PM
My eight I would go for would be
Blyleven, John, Gossage, Gwynn, Ripken, Rice, Trammell and Dawson. Those are the easy ones for me.
Picking the other two would be hard.
Posted by: yankeefan1@enter.net | November 27, 2006 02:25 PM
So, for me, there are 14 players on the ballot that I think are arguably as worthy as many that are already in the HOF. But I can’t vote for 14 so:
Belle, Blyleven, Dawson, Gossage, Gwynn, John, Mattingly, Mc Gwire, Rice, Ripken
Posted by: ataustin@aol.com | November 27, 2006 04:16 PM
Off the Mark
I don’t have a Hall of Fame vote, but if I did, here’s what my ballot would look like this year: Ripken, Gwynn, McGwire, Rich Gossage, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Jim Rice
My prediction: Ripken and Gwynn are elected on their first ballot, while Gossage finally gets his due and joins Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter in Cooperstown.
November 28, 2006 | Permalink
2007 Hall of Fame voting results for the first 10 places:
Cal Ripken 537 98.5%
Tony Gwynn 532 97.6%
Rich “Goose” Gossage 388 71.2%
Jim Rice 346 63.5%
Andre Dawson 309 56.7%
Bert Blyleven 260 47.7%
Lee Smith 217 39.8%
Jack Morris 202 37.1%
Mark McGwire 128 23.5%
Tommy John 125 22.9%
Exercise and results:
Mike: Since he voted for 8, we should compare between the first 8. So it’s 6 out of 8 (.750)
Paul: He voted for 10. So we should compare between the first 10. It’s 8 out of 10 (.800)
Jorge: I voted for 10. So it’s 7 out of 10 (.700)
Andy: He voted for 10. So, it’s 8 out of 10 (.800)
Mark: He voted for 7. So, comparison will be with the first 7. It’s 5 out of 7 (.714)
So, the winners are Paul and Andy. (I was the last place!!!!!)
Next year, Tim Raines comes on the ballot. I would vote for him. He won’t be a first ballot HOF, but I do hope he gets good support and eventually gets in. Tim was nearing the end, but helped the Yanks to two World Series titles (1996 and 1998).
.294 batting average. Over 2600 hits. Over 800 stolen bases. One of the greatest leadoff hitters of all time, but overshadowed by his contemporary (and someone who will be a 1st ballot selection in 2009–Rickey Henderson).
I think he’ll have to wait a few years, but I hope Raines gets in and gets honored at a Yankees Old Timers Day!
Next year—-GOOOOOSE!
That’s with a G, not an M (yet), Gina.
Unfortunately, some positions get overlooked. (SS and 3b really get screwed….ask Rizzuto, who had to wait forever!— I think Ron Santo and Ken Boyer should be in. Both GREAT 3b … Nettles .248 hurts him. Had he hit .278…. But Santo and Boyer should be compared with OTHER THIRD BASEMEN—-NOT people they played against like Mays or Aaron! For example, you compare Rizzuto against other SS, not against Mantle or Dimaggio). Third base has less HOF than any other position.
That said, what happens with DHs? It will be very interesting when Edgar Martinez comes on in a few years. How great must a DH be to make up for the fact he isn’t playing in the field? What does it mean for Edgar—or many years from now, Ortiz?
I’d have voted for Blyleven, as you see above. 287 wins and SIXTY SHUTOUTS! With relief pitching today, who the **** is going to throw SIXTY shutouts anymore?
About Gossage.
In 1975, 1977 and 1978, he pitched at least 130 innings in each of those years…
ALL in relief.
His highest ERA among those 3 years was 2.01.
When the Yanks first got Gossage it seemed a slap to Spaky Lyle but I came to appreciate how dominating Gossage was.
The rules for saves were different in those days if I recall correctly. A pitcher would only gain a save were he to pitch an inning of a 1 run game or 3 innings were the score more than 1 run apart.
I recall Gossage pitching many 3 inning saves and just blowing away the other side. I really don’t think I have seen a modern pitcher as intimidating except maybe Al Hrobosky until the end of his career when he was getting smacked around.
Mike:
I’ve recieved your email. Thank you very much. I sent you my comments. Check it out.
We were talking about the Beatles yesterday. Well, today there is this ugly story in the NY Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/487390p-410300c.html
Yes, I saw that story and replied to your message, Jorge.
For those of you…I usually give my column to the club around the 22nd of the month. ALREADY I have over five pages written, what with the RJ deal, the signings of Eye Chart and Cairo, and the HOF Vote.
I just added a paragraph. Some of you know how much I don’t care for a sportswriter in my area. He had a column today about the HOF vote and the snub (his word) of McGwire. Here is what I write in my column regarding this writer’s column for today.
…. I found it interesting that a certain writer interviewed some local high school baseball coaches about the McGwire HOF vote. Some comments he got from these coaches were “Absolutely it sent a message that was heard. Quite frankly, it’s a message that NEEDS to be sent, too” and “I applaud the message that was sent”. This writer COULD HAVE SENT THAT MESSAGE HIMSELF. Unfortunately, he did not. He cast a vote FOR McGwire. I would hope that he felt some sense of shame for doing so after hearing the remarks of some people he interviewed.
YOU should write that column also, Mike. 😉
Here is an article with some interesting statements from Brian Cashman talking about RJ trade
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/487294p-410283c.html
Jorge, I think Randy reads this blog and WE convinced him that a move back to the NL was in his best interests!
You think all the players read this blog, Andy?
ARod would be so much happier in Anaheim or Los Angeles or back in Dallas. Year round warm weather and no one would care if he wore makeup every day and one glove on his hand.
If only he would waive the no trade clause…he could have so much fun in those places without that annoying Jeter and Torre always demaninding things.
Sorry, Paul, now that he’s got his high school receiver on the team he’s really not going away!
Thanks for the grading on the HOF balloting, Jorge. Paul and I will accept our prize money in different ways. I’d like to donate mine to the KAP (Keep ARod in Pinstripes) Fund, while Paul prefers the SAS (Ship ARod to Siberia) Fund.
PRAY for Bobby…
Bad news for Bobby Murcer
Statement from Bobby Murcer: “As we begin a new year, I find myself facing a new challenge – the biggest of my life so far. Pathology reports have revealed that the brain tumor removed was malignant.
I’m not having to battle this alone, but am fortified with the most loving family, an abundance of wonderful friends and fans and the very best class of physicians.
I’m gaining confidence that with God and my faith leading the way, we will as a team put up an incredible fight. Please continue to send up prayers. That’s all I can really ask of you at this time.”
Statement from George Steinbrenner: “Bobby Murcer represents the spirit of the Yankees, and above all, he’s my dear friend. I know Bobby very well. He has true grit, is a fighter and our entire Yankee organization offers our prayers to him and his family for a big win in this battle.”
Sad news. But I’m absolutelly sure that our prayers will help. Let’s make Bobby Murcer know that all Yankee fans around the world are with him
Andy, I think I’ll only send the money to you, because I’m an active member of KAP Foundation. If Paul will use the money for his SAS Foundation, he’ll have to wait at least for 10 more years to receive it.
And YES!!!!!, we were a part of Randy’s trade. We’re being useful to NYY Organization.
Sad news for Bobby Murcer, but we do not know the extent of the malignancy. There are variables in malignancy so let’s hope for the best for one of the greatest Yankees.
From all accounts he is even a nicer guy than he was a terrific player. We can all wish him well soon.
Here are some statements from the new kid on the block
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1776255&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
Remember our old friend, my countryman, Karim García? He received an invitation to join Colorado Rockies’ training camp. He is playing now Mexican Winter League post season.
Posted by: jtorresmesias@hotmail.com | January 8, 2007 03:18 PM
My mistake. Phillies offered him a Minor League contract
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1775442&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
This is the one that caught my eye:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1775858&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
I especially like the first line. I say that every Opening Day and every time the Yankees take over 1st place.
Ahhhhh… the roar of the greasepaint….the smell of the crowd….
Wait, maybe I am in the wrong field?
Yes, Paul, I think you are.
So, I had a good day today. My school finally distributed PSAT scores, and I got a 214, which is in the 99th percentile nationally. Yay! Now it’s time for fun with the ACT, SAT, and college visits.
Glad to see Randy is finally and officially gone. Time to move on from that fiasco.
USA Today’s Sports Weekly had an interesting article about possibly turning the old Yankee Stadium, once it is now longer used, into the new National Baseball Hall of Fame. This would make it far more accessible than Cooperstown and also give it a lot more space, on the site of one of the sport’s greatest buildings. An interesting idea, though I’m not sure how serious it is.
congrats karl!….what does a 214 mean? lol I already feel old if they are changing the PSAT’s even more.
I also have good news. ESPN radio in west palm beach has chosen to interview me this wednesday for an internship…So now I’m just a little nervous, because if my first internship is with espn, that could be a big and quick step.
lol I got a 212 on my PSAT and 2230 on the actual SAT.
214 means 2140 basically Vince.
Oh and Karl, brace yourself for a storm of college emails and letters. It gets pretty ugly.
So, um, Vince….haven’t heard much from you lately about how Michigan was so much more deserving to be in the BCS title game than USC, Florida, and Boise State….
Oh you guys! I cannot wait for Feb. 15th to come!!! It is going to be a great day.
Sorry, you youngins – I am one of the driving forces behind the onslaught of college brochures and letters. That is part of my job. hehe…
That’s funny because I haven’t heard much from anybody about how OSU was:)
I mentioned way back among 2nd glance shortly after michigan lost to OSU that florida was the only other team I felt was worthy of facing OSU in the title game upon record…Michigan simply wet the bed against USC as usual, and chad henne is prob as far from clutch as they come. I stick by boise state not being worthy though, beating oklahoma, in overtime mind you, was the first real team they took down, and Oklahoma isn’t even a top 5 school. Though I also never denied being for a playoff format in college football.
USC also lost twice and regardless of how badly they own michigan, they still did not deserve a shot, just like ND has no business being anywhere near anything because they were easily the most overrated team in college football.
Andrew…..2140=? I know that that must be very good because 2400 is perfect but I took the final old SAT format, so as far as I’m concerned 1600=impossible.
In fact, here are some fun quotes from that time ago:
OSU will beat Michigan, 44-31, if there is a rematch. I think OSU would beat Florida by three touchdowns. Florida is not one of the top five teams in the country.
Posted by: Jeff | December 2, 2006 08:08 PM
OSU will become the USC of last year of they get michigan again. Except hart will be the hero, not their Henne.
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | December 2, 2006 08:02 PM
Two words…USC STUNK tonight and lost twice this year…over rated….Rob, doesn’t matter who plays Ohio State….seriously, they are the best college team by far
Posted by: sam13281328@aol.com | December 2, 2006 07:48 PM
Me to Jeff. I think Ohio State won’t be beat. Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, USC, whoever, Jim Tressel will have his team ready
Ohio State will beat anyone they play. Michigan is the only one that will have a prayer.
Posted by: Mark | December 2, 2006 10:42 PM
Vince, that was celarly a personal foul. Watch the replay again and again and again. There was no question it was. OSU will dominate Michigan again and will kill Florida, bring them on
Posted by: sam13281328@aol.com | December 3, 2006 12:09 PM
if florida beats florida state, which i expect, they would have defeated florida state, LSU, georgia and alabama, and their loss to a top 10 team in auburn, I would not mind them being in the national championship either. Though I hope they are in the orange bowl and play in miami where I will see and root for them.
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | November 18, 2006 07:23 PM
Anyway, proof I said I wouldn’t mind florida in the title game, proof florida was tremendously underrated by all, and proof that indeed, Jim tressel did not have his team ready for the game. In addition, since the cowboys and OSU lost in the most embarressing ways even a diabolical genius whom hates both team’s entire families and fanbases can come up with, where has russ been? Where is all the gloating, it has been awfully quiet.
I saw one comment by someone who said that it wasn’t the responsibility of the writers to do what should have been done by Selig and the Players’ Association regarding steroid use and McGwire’s HOF vote.
I responded that:
… although I agree that something should have been done far earlier about this, there was a responsibility that fell into the sportswriters’ laps.
One mark of true courage and heroism is when someone ACCEPTS responsibility that is thrust upon them. A responsibility that one did not ask for or seek, but one that a person will handle to the best of his or her ability.
Soldiers do not want or desire the brutality of combat, but our greatest heroes were those who accepted the ugly reality of war, accepted their responsibility, and handled it to the best of their ability.
The Hall vote obviously isn’t as major a responsibility as a battle is. But it is a unexpected responsibility to be accepted or shirked nonetheless.
Over 76% ACCEPTED the unexpected responsibility thrust upon them and voted courageously–doing what they thought was right, despite what may have been a public backlash.
The other 23.5% abdicated the responsibility given them and copped out.
while i accept that they had a responsibility, and i appreciate that 76% accepted said resposibility appropriatly i dont perticularly feel the need to listen to them grandstand and posture and preach abt their acceptance. just vote, and then dont talk abt it! i dont wanna hear why they accepted it, then its not accepting your responsibility but rather its then trying to capitalize on it to garner 15 mins of fame!! which i dont respect at all….
Whoa, Mike. Disagreeing with you about an issue is not necessarily abdicating responsibility. Some believe a person is innocent until proven guilty, some believe there’s there’s already enough circunstantial evidence to convict. Some believe that he didn’t break the rules of baseball so he shouldn’t be excluded, others believe he broke the spirit of the rules and should be excluded. Still others believe that there’s enough evidence that many players were using “help” and so none should be singled out, others that they should all be banished.
There are a variety of points of view, and just because some take a different one than you doesn’t mean they’re copping out.
And if you want to bring global issues into it, yes, SOME of our greatest heroes accepted the reality of war and handled it to the best of their ability. Others of our greatest heroes have refused to accept the inevitibilty of war and worked to stop it. I’m getting very tired of those who assume their opinion is absolute truth and anyone who disagrees is wrong, unpatriotic, a heathen, or whatever the label du jour is.
It’s pretty black and white (the issue mike is talking about). Otherwise, no it is not right to accept your opinion as truth and berade all others. This is what I had to say about the steroids scandal on another blog:
None of the aforementioned names (palmeiro, sheffield, giambi, mcgwire, bonds)deserve to be in the HOF, and I recognize bonds would have had the numbers anyway, but if I was able to get an A on a test but chose to cheat instead to make sure, do I deserve not to be punished? Of course not,some may think I was stupid for ensuring I get the guaranteed A, but is bonds not stupid for cheating if he “already” was qualified to be HOF caliber? These players are not above the law whether it is legally or morally, especially when guys like Jackson and Rose are kept out with no evidence whatsoever that their numbers were effected by anything they did.
Many say it is not a moral hall of fame, it is a baseball hall of fame, which to an extent is true. Guys like Cobb, and other “racists” do indeed take vacancy there. However, ignoring the fact Cobb was a magnified creature of the time period in America, him beating up a crippled man did not change how many times he stole home plate, it did not, scientifically, give him an edge over anybody else who took the field. Ruth being an alcoholic, did not aid him into hitting more homeruns, these guys did what they did purely, big mac, bonds, sosa, despite what they did or did not do for the game of baseball, despite who turned what cheek to ignore it in exchange for making money, despite all of these things, are cheaters. Cheaters, in no facet of life, should be rewarded, not now, not ever.
Yes, it is true, many pitchers could have been on steroids when mac was facing them, yes it is a salem witch trial with a who’s who of juicer accusations, but these guys were outed. Again I allude to the test taking example. If I were caught looking at another person’s test, and everybody else in the room was looking at somebody elses sheet, and I got the highest grade in the class but was eventually caught, should I be spared because everyone was doing it? Should I maintain my grade becasue there was no proof anybody else wasn’t cheating? No, I should be punished, and when other people are caught for peeking, they should be punished too. And if it bothered me that much, if I truly believe it is unfair punishment, well then maybe I should rat out on some other students in the classroom who were cheating too. Maybe my response to the administration should not be “I’m not here to talk about my test”.
Others additionally say what he did was not illegal at the time and what he did was a product of his era and should be discounted, these are truly the most naieve people of all. To paraphrase someone from pete abraham’s blog, So if murder wasn’t illegal in baseball, I should be allowed to shoot the fielder fielding my ball? Wouldn’t that boost my average? Steroids without prescription are illegal in society, and they sure as **** effect how you play the game. Just because something isn’t illegal doesn’t mean it is right or fair, and you bet your buns that’s why there are voters who decide if you’re in or not, to take things like that into account. As far as “everyone was doing it” I simply refer to the age old adage “if everyone jumped off a bridge would you do that too?” It is ridiculous to give up on the red carded guys that changed the game illegally just because we don’t know who else did it. It’s like a detective giving up on a case because he feels there are so many clues he is missing in addition to what he already has. Excuse me while I would leave big mac (fitting name) off of my ballot.
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | January 10, 2007 08:37 PM
Sorry Andy….disagree.
It doesn’t look as if the Yanks will go after a lefty reliever to go along with Myers.
Schoeneweis is going to the Mets, and I don’t see any movement by the Yanks to bring back Villone.
It seems so, Mike. But, what do you all think about it?. I mean, going a whole season with just one lefty in the pen is not the best decision. Of course, it’s not something that disqualifies your team from being competitive, but I’d prefer to have another option in the lefty side. But, as Mike said, it seems no other lefty will come to the Bronx.
And the prodigal son was re-introduced today as a Yankee:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070111&content_id=1777537&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
anybody catch the article on the yankee site about ohlendorf? I like him, he seems like a really ambitious and excited young guy. Plus he went to Princeton
yes, Vince.
One thing I commented on on our show last sunday was that Ohlendorf’s high school coach was Keith Moreland and his coach at Princeton was Scott Bradley.
I have Derek’s cologne…what I’d REALLY love is one of his girlfriends…
check out the photo on Pete Abe’s site…
499
andddd 500….that’s better.
anybody catch the article on the yankee site about ohlendorf? I like him, he seems like a really ambitious and excited young guy. Plus he went to Princeton
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | January 11, 2007 09:18 PM
Yeah, Vince. Interesting. I posted the link last Wednesday, as you can see:
Here are some statements from the new kid on the block
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1776255&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
Posted by: jtorresmesias@hotmail.com | January 10, 2007 07:30 PM
Anyway, I want to thank Mike for your advice about that Jessica Biel’s photo in Pete’s Blog. And, you know what? I think DJ deserves that gift of the Gods. (Don’t forget me, Lord)
From Pete Abraham:
Spring training invitee list
Here are the non-roster players the Yankees are inviting to spring training:
INF Andy Cannizaro, C Francisco Cervelli, INF Angel Chavez, C Raul Chavez, RHP Tyler Clippard, C Ben Davis, INF Eric Duncan
OF Brett Gardner, RHP Phil Hughes, RHP Steven Jackson, LHP Ben Kozlowski, INF Ramiro Pena, RHP Ross Ohlendorf, C Peter Pilittere
C Todd Pratt, C Omir Santos, OF Jose Tabata, INF Marcos Vechionacci, RHP Kevin Whelan, RHP Steven White
Jackson, Ohlendorf and Whelan were all obtained in trades this winter. Unless I missed it, I don’t think anybody realized they had signed Pratt as a catcher. He hit .207 in 65 games for Atlanta last season. He must be insurance against Wil Nieves looking overmatched.
Tabata and Gardner are their top position player prospects.
I’m a little surprised J. Brent Cox wasn’t invited to camp considering he seems ready for Class AAA ball. If I get a chance, I will try and find out.
posted by Peter Abraham @ 5:55 PM 11 comments
Jeff Nelson retires as a Yankee
Jeff Nelson wanted to retire as a Yankee and the team granted that wish, signing him to a minor-league deal today before he officially retired.
Nelson, 40, was a member of the four World Series champions under Joe Torre. In 331 career appearances with the Yankees, he posted a 23-19 record with a 3.47 ERA from 1996-2000 and in 2003.
Nelson made 798 career appearances and played in the postseason eight times. He ranks second among all pitchers in Major League history with 53 postseason appearances, behind only Mariano Rivera (73). That’s a heck of a career.
“I’d like to thank George Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and the entire Yankees’ family for allowing me to retire as a New York Yankee,” Nelson said in a statement released by the team. “I enjoyed a fulfilling 15-year Major League career, and each season brought experiences and friends that I will cherish forever. But being able to be a part of four World Championship teams with the Yankees, while playing in a place like Yankee Stadium in front of the greatest fans in the world – that time will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Dan Benton of Off the Facade will be a guest on the radio show this week, and Ty and Joe are also hoping to have on Dave Pinto of Baseball Musings.
As Mike said above, Jeff Nelson announced his retirement as a Yankee. Here is the link:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070112&content_id=1778413&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
This article shows us AGAIN the class of our organization and the class of certain players. Good luck Mr. Nelson. And thanks for all you gave to us during those unforgettable seasons.
Here’s an interesting take on McGwire/HOF/Steroids:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16546908/
Now I get college mail to go with the spam I get from this blog? Oh yay.
Next week is semester final exam week at my school, so I’ll be keeping busy. Hopefully Mark’s new blog will be up-and-running by then, and I can stop waiting forever for this page to load.
Thank you to Jeff Nelson for the many excellent seasons he gave the Yankees, and best wishes in retirement.
I find McGwire’s rejection from the Hall of Fame to be wonderful news. I think Vince posted the most convincing argument for this above.
It is finally winter in Duluth, with our first real snowfall last week and temperatures finally in the seasonable single digits. Ugh, it’s awful. At least I have HS hockey to distract me.
Karl, I’m assuming you’re smart judging from that 2140 on your PSAT, so you probably won’t have to study much for exams. They really need to do double A exemption from exams, but the superintendent of our county is a _____. Speaking of winter…
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l250/marksman510/omgsnow.jpg
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sadly, that is the extent of my winter so far :/. Still wearing shorts…
Somewhere in Maryland there can be heard the muffled cries of a school superintendent coming from the trunk of a car parked in the Starbucks parking lot during most of the school day.
Whereas I do, in fact, strongly adhere to the notion that one is innocent until proven guilty, and
Whereas I find circumstancial evidence frequently invalid since it is based on preseumption and supposition. Even if some of the facts are valid there are not enough to prove a point beyond a shadow of a doubt, and
Whereas Mark McGwire has never been tested positively for an illegal drug nor stated on the record that he has taken any of them,
Therefore I can only conclude one thing:
He is GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY! Look at those beady eyes!
He should never go into the Hall of Fame. He is GUILTY!
Ahem, oh yeah, one other thing…
Go, Patriots!
thanks!
Paul, I always know we can count on you as a voice of reason!
Seriously, I’m really not trying to defend McGwire. I never liked him much, and I certainly don’t agree with steroid use. All I’m saying is it’s not as clear-cut as many have said, and there are valid arguments on both sides of the issue. Any HOF vote is, by nature, a gray area because there are not absolute qualifications. Hence, the arguments about whether any particular player is worthy. Then when you add the issues of potential steroid use, it just muddies the water even more.
Come down on whichever side of the argument you must, but don’t denigrate those who seriously consider the issue but end up disagreeing with you.
Here’s a hypothetical question for you. What if McGwire or Bonds or one of the others admitted using steroids before they were banned but had a prescription for them because of a medical condition? Then it wouldn’t have been illegal, against the rules, or even unethical, yet potentially gave them an unfair advantage. How would we regard their accomplishments?
On a broader scale, the whole issue of performance-enhancement through artificial means is a pretty gray area, and I find it a bit hypocritical that we allow some things without question and scream about others.
And it’s about to get much more complicated with advancements in science. I’m not just talking about advanced chemicals but technological advances in injury treatment, surgery, and artificial body parts.
Laser eye surgery is commonly accepted in society, but it could easily be used to give a player exceptional eyesight. Tommy John surgery takes a tendon from one place and uses it to replace an elbow ligament. What if they develop an artificial ligament to use instead (and they will) that’s stronger and more durable? We’ve always applauded those with artificial limbs who were able to succeed athletically, but new technology is making prostheses better than the real thing and allow superhuman speed, leaping, etc. And all we had were P.F. Flyers.
The $6,000,000 man is coming and it will be interesting to see how baseball and other sports handle the issues.
But we are NOT dealing with people who took steroids for a medical condition, are we? We are dealing with people who took it for one thing…to cheat.
My father took steroids (prescribed) for a decade before he died…medical condition. I know, because I saw, steroid use.
Not only that, my mom was a nurse, as is a sister and a sister in law, another sister is a surgical tech.
That’s why I said “hypothetical” and “what if”.
I’m not saying that’s what really happened, Mike. I’m asking what if that were the case. How would we react? I’m trying to look at the broad issue, not any specific player ar actuality.
With the personal experience I’ve had, I have no sympathy.
I saw a dying father on them for 10 years.
My family is heavily involved in the medical field, and even though I am not, just being around so many people who ARE involved so heavily gives you a certain perspective.
That would be a different issue….
but it’s not the case, so I don’t even think of it as such.
They could bring forth their doctor and explain why they were taking them.
None ever has.
CHARGERS BABY! End this dynasty just how I predicted…LT has been beastly so far and brayd has been trash.
I feel like we’re speaking completely different languages, Mike. You’re sticking with the actual historical cases and what we know or assume to this point and I’m looking ahead and trying to venture into concepts and ideas.
We are. So be it.
CHARGERS BABY! End this dynasty just how I predicted…LT has been beastly so far and brayd has been trash.
Posted by: yankeevmm@yahoo.com | January 14, 2007 06:06 PM
___________
Sad and bitter Giants fan. How is that Charger worship working out for you?
oh yeah….
PATRIOTS WIN! (even if just barely)
Indianapolis next week!
Andrew: We have a similar situation here in Duluth, where we are forced to take final exams whatever our previous grades, and poor results can haul straight As down to a B, which is awful. The only thing I am feeling any stress over is physics, which I now wish I had never taken and will probably end up ruining me. You’d think that when half the (honors) class is getting Cs-Fs on every test the teacher would notice a problem, but no.
But enough venting. It was a typical Minnesota January day, meaning the only rational thing to do was to sit and watch football. Tragically, the Bears have advanced to the NFC title game, though I am a bit of a closet Patriots fan and was happy to see the results of that game. Also, my high school’s rival in hockey lost for the first time this year yesterday. Cloquet HS hockey is second only to Boston on the list of sports teams I love to see lose.
Today it’s January, 15th. I’ve visited New York Daily News site, but I haven’t found any Mark Feinsand’s Blog. Anyone knows something about it?
And Bryan Hoch, the new NYY MLB.com reporter hasn’t open a new Blog site. This thread is approaching to 550 comments. When will Bryan (if he will) open a new Blog?????
Hi, Jorge, and to all, Moo!
Mark said around January 15. Today is the 15th but also a holiday in the US (Martin Luther King Day).
I would say it is not likely for Bryan to add a page to what was Mark’s blog.
As to whether Bryan will have his own blog, time will tell, but no idea if he would be interested. It is additional work and we were a big problem to mlb.com because of the stalker freak troll of 1000 names. It now spends a lot of its times, I think, on the other Yankee blogs registering and inventing names and posting gibberish.
Time will tell.
I checked that site myself, Jorge. Still nothing as far as Mark’s blog.
A few of us have written Bryan about continuing the blog. Maybe he will address our concerns in his next mailbag column.
I have no clue how long it may take to set a blog up.
In baseball news, Todd Greene signed with the Padres.
I thought SD would win the Super Bowl but Tom Brady proves to be amazing yet again. The best playoff winning QB since Bart Starr. He is like Jeter. Rises to the occasion.
I think the thing is still active sending spam mail out.
Bryan has nothing on this week’s mailbag regarding a blog.
This has nothing to do with being a giants fan, it has everything to do with my closest friends being patriot fans, and annoying ones at that. It will just have to become the ultimate year of destiny where peyton, at home, finally beats the pats, and officially runs the tables when it was least expected, while the saints of new orleans give their city a run for the ages and restore faith for everyone.
Oh and of course peyton being from louisiana and blah blah blah media field day.
Sorry Vince, I’m gonna have to disagree with you. Tom Brady is going to show Peyton how to play in the postseason by means of a thorough *** kicking. The Saints, far from the Superdome and their fans, are gonna feel the Chicago cold at Soldier Field and be completely run over.
I was born in Chicago 😀
News….
First the bad news. As Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part.”
Now the good news. I got a response from Bryan Hoch, the new MLB beat writer for the Yankees. Here is what he had to write:
Hi Mike: Thanks for the note! I’ve asked the folks at MLB.com to start one up for me. It’ll probably be a new blog, but look for it around the time of Spring Training.
Thanks, Bryan Hoch
Hey folks … hope all is well. Just got back from vacation, and I anticipate my new blog starting up by the end of this week. Stay tuned.
Good news on two accounts.
Mark: Great to hear from you. You can be sure that all of us are waiting for your new blog. Good to know that it will be up really soon. We’ll be in touch.
Yankee family. Good news. As Mike posted above, Bryan Hoch will also have his own blog. He sent today an email to me. This is what he told me:
Hi Jorge — Thanks for the note. I’ve asked about creating a MLBlog with the folks at MLB.com, and I think one should be ready to go by Spring Training. Keep an eye out, I want to do one.
Thanks, Bryan Hoch
So, more or less, same words he told to Mike. And he said it clear. “I want to do one”. So, we’ll have Mark’s and Bryan’s. And Pete’s. GOOD!!!!
Tony DeMarco at MSNBC is speculating that one of the reasons the Yankees are stockpiling young pitching prospects is because the Twins will probably try to trade Santana during the season and young pitching is what they’ll want. He’s assuming that the Twins won’t want to pay the $20 million a year to keep him. Santana has a no-trade clause, so he could veto a trade. I would think the Yankees wouldn’t do the trade unless they could sign him to an extension as part of the deal. I wouldn’t mind seeing Santana in pinstripes, but it always depends on the cost.
I received a note from Bryan, also, but it was different.
“Dear Paul:
Stop writing to me.
Honestly, 357 emails requesting a blog is too much even if you signed each one with a different name. They all came from the same email address.
Leave me alone and go away.
Bryan
PS Sleazy and Stinky are NOT 2 of the Seven Dwarfs.”
Andy, the Santana rumor has been kicking around for the last month or so ever since the Randy Johnson trade was suggested for prospects.
Some are suggesting trading Hughes from Santana. I would not do it no matter what.
It is a tough call whether to go for him if he is available. He iws the best pitcher in baseball, hands down, right now. But to give up the farm for him in a bidding war?
The fact is Hughes is about 8 years younger.
Santana is also a free agent after the 2008 season so I would suggest no action will come until then if any.
However, Minnesota has to be crazy to even consider trading their centerpiece especially with a new stadium coming soon. It would be cause to tar and feather Carl Pohlad. Though it could be his biggest thrill of the year other than evicting poor people from a tenement apartment or stealing food from soup kitchens.
Pete Abraham called Tom Brady the football version of Derek Jeter, which is true. He is the ultimate warrior.
How could anyone root against a player like that? Even if you have friends who like the Patriots and you hate them.
Peyton Manning gets gaudy numbers and folds in the playoffs. Last time when he lost he blamed his teammates. And then the time before that he blamed his teammates.
He just comes up small in the playoffs. Sort of like…oh, never mind.
No Paul, “he” doesn’t just come up small, he doesn’t come up at all.
I don’t hate brady, I like brady very much, but Bill Bellichek is not Joe Torre and some of those other guys on the Pats rub me the wrong way as well. The better question is what do you have against peyton manning? Is it donating a ton of money and helping victims with no homes from near his home after katrina, always losing to your team or never getting in trouble with the law and putting up amazing numbers whether it is in the playoffs, where up until now he had no defense, or not?
It just annoys me that unlike in baseball where one man truly can be the difference (IE 2001 ws walkoff to make jeter mr november), in football the qb needs much more to come through for him past what is expected. Ever notice he never gets sacked on one of his patended last minute game winning drives? The offensive line is responsible for ALWAYS protecting brady (same is true about manning), ever notice the pats receivers never drop an important ball? Or someone on defense almost always makes an absolutely huge play when it matters most (brown yesterday, bruschi in years past), or vinitieri never, ever missed an important field goal? That is what annoys me, that people say Tom Brady did it again yesterday because he got his act together for the last five minutes after being terrible the rest of the game and throwing three interceptions. That game was not brady saving the day, it was troy brown and the pats defense buckling down, and marty doing what marty does best, making major mistakes (challenging an obvious play and losing his final timeout, never using LT down the stretch, not kicking a 48 yarder in the first quarter for a difference of 7 yards instead of a possible three points, and it goes on and on and on).
The point is the pats beauty is in the team effort, much like any other dynasty of any other sport.
That said I really do like brady because he is a Umich guy and a yankee fan, and also never gets into legal trouble, never tested positive for anything and is an all around nice guy by all accounts.
Just wanted to say that Dan Koppen of the Patriots comes from my neck of the woods. Graduate of Whitehall High School, (PA) one town over from my own.
This was a tough year for Brady losing his top 2 receivers and several of the new ones could not catch anything even with a butterfly net.
Brady is all about the team, and not about himself. You might recall in an earlier Super Bowl the Pats would not allow them to be introduced individually but as a team.
It is all about the team.
Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell came out of nowhere to shine in the game yesterday. Troy Brown has always been an amazing competitor. The list goes on.
Belichick is a genius, getting the most out of people. How does he do it year in and year out? Dunno. But it is amazing.
NYY agrred a one year deal with Luis Vizcaíno avoiding arbitration.
Bryan Hoch said in his article about Luis:
Nicknamed “Daily” for his regular workload, Vizcaino has pitched in 359 games over the last five seasons, ranking fifth among all Major League pitchers in that time frame and second among right-handers.
Surely Joe Torre is sooooooooooo happy about this.
agrred = agreed
I was talking about the Yankees. Not the Tigers
Oooops….he did it again!!!!
Yesterday night, in a close game (4-3, 7th inning) Luis Alfonso García smashed a loooooooong homerun to give his team the win. Seems that the Yankees didn’t invite him to Spring Training. Maybe I’m wrong about his skills. Or should I say the Yankees?????
Jeez this is nervewracking, I have an enormous interview tomorrow.
Jeez this is nervewracking, I have to learn an entire semester of statistics because:
1) My teacher is a *****
2) I never learned anything in that class (see 1)
3) My teacher flirts with girls during class and forgets to teach
4) Our review packet has nothing to do with the actual exam
5) We were never taught the last two units
Hey all, anybody else getting anxious for the Pitcher/Catcher report date? It’s not that far away! And I will get to follow the baseball season this year with a new Yankee fan in the fold. My wife gave birth to a 9 lb 11 oz baby boy yesterday, Jan 15. So now I can brainwa…uh, I mean, educate him in the ways of Yankee fandom. We named him after my paternal Grandfather, from whom I got my love of baseball and the Yankees. Ironically, he was born 10 years to the day my Grandfather passed away.
Jorge, I too can not understand why Luis Alfonzo Garcia is not being invited. He did well last year in Spring ball, so why not give him a shot? Only thing I can figure is that there is no spot on the ML roster for him and he has maybe said before he’s not interested in being assigned to the minors? Who knows?
And Andrew, thanks to the new baby, I got to skip out on semester finals today and tomorrow. I just get to go back and try and catch up on all the work on Thursday.
Rob, congratulations on the addition to the Yankee fan family! May he enrich you and your wife and family with joy. Best wishes!
Good luck on your interview, Vince (for a job?) and to Andrew for your schoolwork (impending test?). Actually 6 out of 10 tests on statistics are easier than they seem.
internship for the summer:
downsides: I will be in florida again for the summer and I can’t sleep
upside: It is ESPN….and I can single handedly change their ways (haha).
Congrats, Rob. That is one big boy!
Teach him to throw lefty. We can always use lefty pitchers.
Congrats, Rob. Perhaps your son can play third base already?
Excellent news, Rob. Surely, good to your pupils, also. Congrats to you and your wife. But I want to make this advice to you. PLEASE, do not EVER let Carl Pavano get close to the newest Yankee fan.
Congratulations on the little one rob! now dont go tellin my wife how wonderful and great babies are…fortunately she hasnt learned that yet and we are puttin off the rug rats for a few more years….heck i can barely take care of myself let alone a baby!!
Sosa to Rangers. We’ll see how that works out. He’s 38 and coming off a year off. We’ll also see what kind of response he gets.
Sal Fasano will try to make it with the Blue Jays. Signed a deal w/them today.
ESPN is reporting that the Pirates dealt Gonzalez to the Braves for LaRoche. No telling if anyone else is involved, but there are rumors the Pirates also sent Salomon Torres in the deal.
to the pirates: Adam LaRoche and Jamie Romak.
to the braves: Mike Gonzalez and Brent Lillibridge.
as nice as it would have been to add gonzalez i am still glad we didnt pull the trigger to let go of proctor, or cabrera.
Craig Wilson to Braves.
Hi everybody. Some of you may remember me by a different userid with “solan” in it on here last year. I went to the second of three Yankees-Phillies games last season and did not come back to the blog. You see, Paul told me to do whatever I had to do to help the Yankees win that game, even if it meant tackling a base runner. Being the good sport that I am, I did and I wound up in jail. This was the game Ryan Howard hit a grand slam and another tater off Moose and then a triple. I couldn’t do anything about the dingers, but his triple would have been an inside-the-park homerun (you should see his wheels in person), but I bounced out of my third base seat, ran onto the field, and tackled him in between second and third base! This defensive gem inspired the Yankees to rally a comeback and the rest is history.
I decided I needed a break from the blog. I was annoyed with certain bloggers who never had anything good to say and thought they were smarter than everyone else. I reached my limit. Amazingly, the break from the blog coincided with my focusing more on school. I found the blog was taking up too much of my time. So, I kept enjoying my focus on school and have reaped the rewards academically. I only peeked in recently, in time to see Mark’s announcement he is going to the Daily News. I have visited there every day since January 15th as he said, but still no blog. I see his note above that it is coming soon.
I see many new bloggers here and many from before. I see Paul’s sense of humor is still intact. His January 15, 2007 07:18 PM post about 357 emails to Bryan Hoch had me in stitches! Classic Paul. The aluminum foil must be getting to him finally. Good to know there is a fellow Patriots fan here (I grew up in New England). I look forward to a good game on Sunday.
Good to see Jorge, Brian, Angel, and a few others still around. Congratulations to Rob on the Yankees third baseman of the future.
I have not graduated yet so still will not post with as much frequency, but wanted to say hello. Looking forward to another year following our yanks.
Congratulations, Rob!
It’s wonderful to know any shot of Melky being traded this offseason is now dead. The Yankees, I think, will reap he rewards of this non-trade, though it may take a few years.
I am halfway through my final exams but have done all the hard ones and am pretty sure I managed to scrape an A in physics. Yay! I need a weekend soon, though.
Hi Ann!
I missed you! Its good to see you’re still around. Your contributions were MISSED here but I understand the need for a break. 🙂
I’ve been scarce lately, been busy with a few things which hopefully will be done by the end of January.
Congratulations on the new addition, Rob.
Nearly 10lbs?? All I can say is OUCH! I bet your wife especially was glad to finally welcome him into the world!
I see my trunk needs a new lock.
haha andrew.
Hey angel! i’ve missed you.
Congrats Rob, I forgot to mention that.
I think I got the ESPN internship but I find out february 1st or around then.
Hi Ann, I think I started blogging shortly before you stopped under “Jesser”, I am Vince, nice to meet you.
Angel, stop being so scarce!
Trot Nixon to Cleveland.
…and ESPN shows their Red Sox bias by reporting it as thus…
“Tough, gritty, Trot Nixon, a mainstay of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox…”
they act like a subsidiary of NESN.
Hey all … there have been some technical issues holding up my new blog. Sounds like next week will be the launch. Thanks for waiting!
Hi Angel! Thanks for your nice comments. I am so glad you are still here. True to your name, you always kept things peaceful. I also enjoy your perspective. Hi Vince! You have an outstanding memory. I am thoroughly impressed. I vaguely remember seeing Jesser posts. I will try to remember that your first name is Vince. Nice to see Mark’s update.
I will assume that this is the same Ann who, it is rumored, was abducted after a Yankees-Phillies game and ended up in Andrew’s trunk. Welcome back, anyway; I’m Karl and I started posting here in late summer.
So Trot Nixon is off to Cleveland. Now the Red Sox’s list of position players developed within the system includes…Kevin Youkilis, and maybe Pedroia, though I’m not sure you can count him when he hasn’t started regularly yet. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have moved on and effectively replaced their decent. left handed, injury prone right fielder with…a decent, left handed, injury prone right fielder, at a much greater cost. How creative.
Apparently Mark’s having problems getting the server at the Daily News ready for 1,000 posts for each entry 🙂
I wrote a new column for our fan club.
It can be found here:
http://www.lvyankeefanclub.com/columns/
Ann!! Good to see you are still alive! We feared the worst….an alien kidnapping and various probes. Yikes, it gives me the willies just typing it.
Big, big, big football game tomorrow for the AFC championship. My early prediction is Patriots 246- Indy Colts 12. Perhaps I am a tad aggressive in my prediction.
Hey Paul! The closest I get to aliens is Star Trek! Hmm. Yes, your prediction does seem a tad overzealous. After all, the Colts proved last week they can put up at least five field goals! Seriously though, it should be a good game. I just hope it does not come down to Vinatieri. He is so clutch. I still question letting him go. The baseball analogy would be to have let Mo Rivera sign somewhere else.
Hi Karl! I will have to tell my husband – who never missed an episode of The X-Files – about the theory that I was abducted by aliens. He will like that.
Does anybody know the latest on Bernie’s status?
Though I haven’t heard anything lately about Bernie, but this seems pretty accurate to me:
So if you are going 13 players/12 pitchers, you have
C Posada/Nieves or Chavez (2)
DH Giambi
1b Eye Chart/Phelps or Phillips (2) (If Phelps or Phillips could play a corner OF spot, it would help their cases)
2b Cano
UT Cairo
SS Jeter
3b Alex
OF Matsui-Damon-Abreu-Melky (4)
That makes 13. No room for Bernie. It looks like the writing is on the wall here. I hope he decides to retire.
Posted by: yankeefan1@enter.net | January 6, 2007 09:41 AM
Sad, but true.
If I had to list my 3 least favorite teams in the NFL, they would be, in no particular order:
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
Indianapolis Colts
So, as you can see, I am THRILLED at the upcoming Super Bowl. I am seriously far more interested in high school hockey right now and am already looking forward to Duluth East-Cloquet on Feb. 6, not Bears-Colts on Feb. 4.
At least I have a day off of school tomorrow-end of semester!
I love the Bears. They’re my second team after the Giants as I was born in Chicago and my dad was, and still is, a huge fan of the Bears. I don’t mind the Colts, but I HATE HATE HATE the fans. I see bandwagon Colt fans everywhere especially in my school, where the trends change as soon as a certain team starts winning (see: Red Sox).
I apologize for my 246-12 prediction of a Patriot victory. They missed obtaining that score ever so slightly.
Worse I feel bad about the Patriot loss but have to admit the Colts are a much better team than in the past and they played very well. The Pats were unable to stop them in the second half.
Overall the Pats played far better than expected thios season. After losing so many key players because of the salary cap and ridiculous offers elsewhere (WR David Givens, LB Willie McGinnest, and others) as well as very talented players acting like a jerk (WR Deion Branch), they still made the AFC Championship game.
Defeat is sad but I have to give respect to the Colts. Respect is a notion seemingly foreign to Jet fans. What is it with some sports fans like the Red Sox fans who delight overwhelmingly in other fans’ misery. After all they are only Jet fans since it is the only team name they are able to spell without help.
Congratulations on surviving the game, Paul. I wasn’t sure you would.
The only reason I felt bad about rooting for the Colts to win (in the second half), was because I would have been quite happy for the Patriots to win for Paul’s sake. That, and I really have nothing against them as a team. That was a very gracious post, Paul. There are some fans who could learn a thing or two from that.
The nimrod commentator during the half time wrap annoyed me so much with his stupid comment that I just had to root for the Colts, purely in order for him to be wrong.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ann is back!!!!!!! The best news I’ve received since Randy Johnson’s trade. My dear Ann, you have no idea how we missed you. Hope to see you more frequently on Mark’s new blog. And remember Bryan Hoch (Mark’s replacement in NYY site) has told us that he will have his own blog come Spring Training.
Good to hear from you again, Angel. Long time without you over here.
And thanks, Paul, for telling me on Pete’s blog that this site was still alive. I thought it was out of the web, but I googled it today and find it again.
A very gracious post indeed, Paul. I happen to like Tony Dungy and I am happy for him. One of my classmates is a former Jaguar (under Coughlin) and former Patriot (under Parcells) and has nothing but good things to say about Dungy. He is a true servant leader and his players love him.
Hi Jorge! Thank you for the nice welcome. Everyone has been so nice since my return, I now feel badly for leaving. 😦
Angel, I missed the halftime show. What was the stupid comment, or do I not want to know?
Thanks for the update on Bernie. If he does retire (and I can’t imagine him putting on a different uniform), I sure hope they send him out in style.
To reiterate my earlier comment, thank you so much to everyone for making me feel so welcome. It means a lot to me. 🙂
Nothing you don’t deserve, Ann
And about Bernie, yes, it is sad. But it’s something that someday has to happen. Because in an eventual (which I wouldn’t like) trade of Melky for a LH reliever, we have Kevin Thompson waiting for his opportunity. So, I don’t think there is room for the great Bernie Williams. Hope he’ll retire. I wouldn’t like to see him in another uniform. He should be a forever New York Yankee
And talking about Williams, I’m watching Serena Williams now. She’s losing against Shahar Peer (Israel) 5-2. It’s still the 1st set, so let’s see if she can recover. It’s quarter finals in Melbourne Open.
Hi Ann.
It was a trite comment made by one of the halftime guys (not sure of his name) about Peyton Manning/Arod. It was probably relatively harmless, but it just annoyed and grated on me. I thought it was a cheap shot.
The welcome back is very heartfelt, Ann. We’ve had such annoying posters here in your absence, that we truly welcome back the people who posted here who contributed to making this place fun and decent to come to.
annoying?? gee that makes me feel great…. 😦 and i thought i was becoming part of the “family.” well i didnt know you ann but welcome back. any non troll maakes me happy….
well i will miss bernie very much!! given the yankees treatmeant of jeff nelso i would be very surprised if they didnt do the appropriate send off for the life long yankee!! and i honestly dont think he will play anywhere else, but he will get offers (if he hasnt already). his numbers last year showed he still has some talent and its not unreasonable to think someone somewhere will offer him a starting job. i just hope his desire to keep it a yankee legacy will win out over wanting to play everyday. he is more than welcome to come pay in my band if he is looking for the next step!
Of course yuo’re part of the family, Mikee. You’re not who Angel was referring to
Remember this comment I made?
Oooops….he did it again!!!!
Yesterday night, in a close game (4-3, 7th inning) Luis Alfonso García smashed a loooooooong homerun to give his team the win. Seems that the Yankees didn’t invite him to Spring Training. Maybe I’m wrong about his skills. Or should I say the Yankees?????
Posted by: jtorresmesias@hotmail.com | January 16, 2007 06:50 PM
Well, I have to say:
Oooooooooops…….he did it AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday night, in the first game of the final Series in Mexican Winter League, it was the bottom of the 12th inning, and score was tied 5-5, between Venados de Mazatlán and Naranjeros de Hermosillo. Two outs. No one on base. Luis Alfonso García at bat. And you know what happened. A long walk off homerun. Some people says that the ball is still flying. Believe me. Luis Alfonso is an outstanding player.
By the way, there are some former and current MLB players with Naranjeros de Hermosillo, García’s team. He plays with Vinny Castilla, Erubiel Durazo, Elmer Dessens, Gerónimo Gil and some others.
Wow, I thought this blog ceased to exist once the link came off the Yankee page. Glad to see everyone’s still here.
Anticipating…….just in case? Or do they know something we do not?
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070123&content_id=1784336&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
Thanks, Angel. That is too bad.
Howdy gnome.
Angel: I’m pretty sure the comment was made by Boomer Esiason. He suggested that if Manning lost this game, he should buy a house in A-Rod’s neighborhood. While it was a bit of a cheap shot, I will not deny that it is somewhat true. I can also understand the Brady/Manning and Jeter/A-Rod comparisons that have been made. Hopefully this is a sign that 2007 will be a good year for sports’ greatest superstars finally reaching their respective championships.
I also found the Clemens Number Article amusing and hope it is more than wishful thinking. But for now, the Yankees need to plan to go ahead without him.
Yeah, that was the comment. It grated on me as a cheap shot. Im tired of hearing about it – is there any sport I can watch where I can escape the ad nauseumness of that particular topic? Apparently not.
Those of you who got Extra Innings via your cable package.. check out the latest post on Jason’s Boogie Down Bronx blog.
Apparently MLB is considering striking a lucrative deal with DirecTV that would enable only people who subscribe to DirecTV to get Extra Innings.
If thats the case, I’m done.
There is no way I’m switching to unreliable and expensive (compared to the great cable package I get here) DirecTV, just to get a baseball package. MLB can just forfeit my Extra Innings subscription money for such a stupid move.
Is Bud Selig really that ignorant/arrogant to go through with this? Remains to be seen, I guess.
THIS JUST IN
It looks like the relationship is over between Derek Jeter and Jessica Biel. Biel was caught last weekend backstage at none other than newly single Justin Timberlake’s concert flirting! According to the New York Post while Derek was at the Atlantis Bahamas for Michael Jordan’s Golf Tournament he was “flirting madly” with Gabrielle Union!
OK, everyone … it looks like my new blog will debut sometime Friday. Thanks for your patience! Hope to see you all there.
Thanks for the advice, Mark. You can be sure we’ll be over there next Friday, looking for your new blog. Have you already named the new blog?
A shocking notice, Kat. I’m not sure if Derek would prefer to catch Jessica flirting with David Ortiz than with gorgeous Gabrielle
Maybe Timberlake offered Jessica something in a box?
(Egad, I am writing about a pop culture reference. Someone just shoot me!)
hahahahaahahahhaa Paul….hahahahahaahah wow, I can’t even believe…..wow.
Is that really Paul?
Some great news: Yankee Stadium will host the All-Star Game next year. What a great way to send out the old stadium. The first one in New York in 31 years; it’s about time.
Cairo’s contract has also been officially finalized.
I guess I’ll see everyone on the Daily News blog tomorrow! Goodbye, Mark it Down! It’s been fun!
It may have been me, but I am not admitting to any hard evidence.
I would not have known anything about the whole satire except for the response from “Bunny” on MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann. That is my source for this particular item of pop culture.
By the way, the response was hysterical and much better done than the original, I think.
I see Mark’s blog isn’t up yet.
One of our favorite whipping boys, Arthur Rhodes, is back in the A.L., signing a minor league deal with Seattle.
I’ll gladly take Jeter’s “rejects”….
I just posted a comment on Mark’s new blog. His first post is there and its up and running.
Mike, Derek had a 2-week fling with Bea Arthur a couple of years ago.
He will send her over your house tonight by 7:30.
I’ll gladly take Jeter’s “rejects”….
Posted by: yankeefan1@enter.net | January 26, 2007 08:59 AM
I’ve called Derek. Seems I have the rights, Mike. Sorry.
You can have Bea, Jorge.
wasnt branden fraser looking for naked pictures of bea arthur in Airheads?? i loved that movie!!
No, Mike. Paul has reached an agreement with DJ for Mrs. Bea Arthur.
As Angel said above, Mark’s new blog is up. I’ve found in Mark’s “Blogging the Bombers” some members of the Yankee family we created: Angel, Vince, Mike, Mikee, Kat and Paul. Let’s go over there.
COME BACK MARK