"You can tell a lot about a player in bad times. As writers, we often remark about how some players are more quotable after losses because that’s when they’re the most honest.
So it was interesting to observe the reactions of Brian Bruney and Miguel Cairo today when they were taken off the roster. Bruney quickly packed his bags and stormed out of the room. “No I don’t,” he said when I asked him if he had a minute to speak.
Bruney then knocked over a chair on his way out of the room.
But at least he has a team to play for. Cairo was designated for assignment and could well be released. But he walked around, embraced all his teammates and then stood at his locker and said what it meant to him to play for the Yankees.
“It’s hard because I’ve been here three years and it’s a good group of people. The coaches are unbelievable and there’s a good manager. For me, it was an honor to be here,” he said.
Bruney is only 25, so let’s give him a pass. But it’s too bad he wasn’t around to see how Cairo handled himself.
As for Cairo, it made sense that he was the one to go. But I’m not sure the Yankees are a half-game out of the wild card race without him. Back in June, when the only other choice at first base was Josh Phelps, he filled in admirably.
Pettitte just admitted to his HGH use. Said he did it 2 times, over 2 days, then quit over feeling guilty about it, even though it technically was not a banned substance
exactly one of those hats. my jacket will be tweed with the elbow patches and everything.
living in boston i totally understand that 9 times out of 10 it is all talk and no trade.
i can't view the cabrera trade the same way i view a possible santana trade because the tigers also got dontrelle willis who is still arbitration eligible for 2 more years (i think) and cabrera does not become a free agent until after the 2009 season. granted the tigers did give up a lot, but they got two young players that are under their control for another couple seasons.
as for the haren deal, i still don't get that one since haren was signed for cheap for another couple years. i'm not super familiar with the prospects the a's received, but i only think 1 or 2 are considered mid to top level (as opposed to elite).
garza for delmon young looked pretty even to me. the rays have a ton of OF prospects that can fill in, so they were trading away surplus in essence even if it was a player coming off a very good rookie season.
i agree with your reasoning about cabrera's value to the yanks, but then again hank seems to be ruling the bronx these days so actually baseball thought might just get thrown out the window.
dontrelle willis is a major x-factor. we all know what he's capable of, but i don't personally think he has a ton of value right now.
1022.2 major league innings pitched before turning 26. the marlins mishandled the hell out of him. i guess he's young enough to recover, but who knows?
with the haren deal, i'm really just going by what i've read:
it sounds like a pretty good haul. beane didn't need to trade haren. he just realized that there would be a huge market for him and that the A's wouldn't be able to compete with seattle or anaheim in 2008 with or without him.
garza for young is an even trade in the sense that it fills needs for both teams. personally, i'd rather have delmon young (all else being equal).
and my feeling is that you need to get significantly more for santana than you got for garza. would you say that the jacoby ellsbury package is significantly better than the delmon young package? i'm not trying to minimize the value of lowrie or masterson, but ellsbury vs. young seems like a toss up to me (i'm using ellsbury as an example instead of lester or hughes because ellsbury vs. young makes for the easiest direct comparison).
i guess it's possible that i'm placing too little value on matt garza. he had a very good year at age 23. but i wouldn't trade hughes for him. probably not kennedy either (although i'd have to think about that one). lester for garza? that's your call. you know more about lester than i do.
as for cashman, i'm cautiously optimistic that he's still in charge. as this offseason plays out, i'm become more and more convinced that hank steinbrenner is (hopefully) just a front for what's really going on. he's like the college kid who starts bar fights and then hides behind his larger friends while continuing to run his mouth.
Pettitte just admitted to his HGH use. Said he did it 2 times, over 2 days, then quit over feeling guilty about it, even though it technically was not a banned substance
Pettitte just admitted to his HGH use. Said he did it 2 times, over 2 days, then quit over feeling guilty about it, even though it technically was not a banned substance
andy pettitte is probably my 2nd favorite yankee player behind derek jeter. honest. i believe pettitte for exactly what he said in his statement but i have a major problem with this part:
"This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," he said. "I wasn't looking for an edge. I was looking to heal."
sorry, but hgh to heal faster IS an edge. also, his statement doesn't come across as a true apology to me. that's just the way i'm taking it, but i'm glad he had the balls to come out and say he did do it.
dontrelle willis is a major x-factor. we all know what he's capable of, but i don't personally think he has a ton of value right now.
with the haren deal, i'm really just going by what i've read:
it sounds like a pretty good haul. beane didn't need to trade haren. he just realized that there would be a huge market for him and that the A's wouldn't be able to compete with seattle or anaheim in 2008 with or without him.
garza for young is an even trade in the sense that it fills needs for both teams. personally, i'd rather have delmon young (all else being equal).
and my feeling is that you need to get significantly more for santana than you got for garza. would you say that the jacoby ellsbury package is significantly better than the delmon young package? i'm not trying to minimize the value of lowrie or masterson, but ellsbury vs. young seems like a toss up to me (i'm using ellsbury as an example instead of lester or hughes because ellsbury vs. young makes for the easiest direct comparison).
i guess it's possible that i'm placing too little value on matt garza. he had a very good year at age 23. but i wouldn't trade hughes for him. probably not kennedy either (although i'd have to think about that one). lester for garza? that's your call. you know more about lester than i do.
as for cashman, i'm cautiously optimistic that he's still in charge. as this offseason plays out, i'm become more and more convinced that hank steinbrenner is (hopefully) just a front for what's really going on. he's like the college kid who starts bar fights and then hides behind his larger friends while continuing to run his mouth.
dontrelle is a total X factor. comerica is a pitcher's park, but i think the AL line-ups will eat him up. he'll be a serviceable #4 SP and being lefty doesn't hurt.
i agree that beane essentially knew the a's were not going to be all that great in 2008, so he sold while the SP market is hot and picked up a lot of minor league talent, although i really think the AL west is a very wide open race, granted beane can't spend to add talent.
i think the ellsbury, lowrie, masterson and a prospect or two offer is very solid. you have to take into consideration that all of the players acquired by minnesota would be under their control for 5-6 years at very cheap money. personally i think ellsbury has an ichiro-type ceiling, meaning he'll be a solid lead-off hitter, get on base a lot, steal 40+ bases, hit around .300 and play solid CF. lowrie is almost major league ready and can play either 2nd or SS and is in the pedroia mold. masterson is all potential, but he's a beast - a 6'6" sinkerballer. my mind is blank on the other possible pitching prospect is.
i'm not a huge lester fan, but i think he has a ton of potentially to grow. he just needs to cut down on his walks. if he can pitch close to what he did in game 4 of the w.s. then that is a young pitcher i want on my team. garza is young, so you really can't look at his one season and make a solid end all decision on him.
if the yanks were to give up hughes, cabrera and another prospect, i think that offer is stronger than the ellsbury offer, just because you would get two young players that have already contributed and are major league ready for opening day 2008. it is hard to compare hughes vs. ellsbury because obviously one is a pitcher and one is a CF.
i think hank is the real deal. i think he's just trying to be like his dad was back in the day and isn't getting all that much input or feedback from the baseball people.
andy pettitte is probably my 2nd favorite yankee player behind derek jeter. honest. i believe pettitte for exactly what he said in his statement but i have a major problem with this part:
"This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," he said. "I wasn't looking for an edge. I was looking to heal."
sorry, but hgh to heal faster IS an edge. also, his statement doesn't come across as a true apology to me. that's just the way i'm taking it, but i'm glad he had the balls to come out and say he did do it.
From what I've heard other players who took it in the past was just to heal faster. So it's basically going back to their original level or close to it. If he was healthy and taking it. Then that's different.
The big thing about the pettitte admission is that it means McNamee was telling the truth about Pettitte. That alone doesn't mean he also told the truth about Clemens, (and Justice for that matter) but it sure doesn't help Roger
Thinking about it here's the main reason I am looking forward to 2008 season;
Finally unlike the past few years its seems as if we have a solid compound to work off of:
No more A-rod drama & opt out drama. He's a yankee for 10 years. Done.
No more coaching drama and questions
No jobs in jeopardry
No Clemens retirement drama
No more free agent question marks (Posada & Mo)
Hopefully this steroid/mitchell drama will be over & dealt with
No personal milestones, #'s to meet, or records to break
Last year in the stadium
No more Pavano as. 2007 opening day starter should've clearly indicated we were in a for a wild and doomed year
With Girardi and all of the above resolved we finally have a TEAM and can play baseaball. Not media-ball.
PJ - 36
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
From what I've heard other players who took it in the past was just to heal faster. So it's basically going back to their original level or close to it. If he was healthy and taking it. Then that's different.
to use hgh to heal faster IS an edge. if player A and player B both sprain their ankle to the same severity but player B takes hgh to heal quicker and player A just rests to heal...player B has an edge. or am i wrong?
to use hgh to heal faster IS an edge. if player A and player B both sprain their ankle to the same severity but player B takes hgh to heal quicker and player A just rests to heal...player B has an edge. or am i wrong?
You're right. If you're talking about pettitte though, do you think using it for 2 days does anything whatsoever?
No more A-rod drama & opt out drama. He's a yankee for 10 years. Done.
The contract issue and the #500 are in the past, but I don't think any of us really think the drama is "done" with A-Rod. There is always something with him.
Things I'm looking forward to:
A full season of Phil Hughes.
Robbie Cano winning a batting title.
Watching Wang win 19 games and maybe even unveiling some new pitches.
Seeing Joba pitch more than 2 innings at a time.
Ian Kenedy battling for a spot in the rotation.
Seeing how Girardi and Eiland handle the pitchers.
You're right. If you're talking about pettitte though, do you think using it for 2 days does anything whatsoever?
i really can't imagine that using hgh for 2 days did much of anything.
as i said before, i'm glad he stepped up and admitted unlike some other players. i was just more disappointed at how he his statement in the way to imply that by using to heal quicker he wasn't using it for an edge, which is just (in my opinion) a dumb train of thought.
"Heard this: If all goes well in spring training for the Yankees, Joba Chamberlain is likely to start next season in the Yankees' bullpen, as part of the team's effort to limit his innings. Chamberlain will go to spring training and, at the outset, prepare to pitch out of the rotation, along with five other rotation candidates -- Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy. Assuming that none of the other five has a physical or performance breakdown, Chamberlain would then open 2008 in the bullpen, as a set-up man, for at least the start of the season -- under the Joba Rules.
The Yankees want to restrict the number of innings Chamberlain throws, and working him out of the bullpen for at least a couple of months will allow them to do that. Chamberlain may return to the rotation sometime in the middle of the season, depending on the Yankees' needs."
"Heard this: If all goes well in spring training for the Yankees, Joba Chamberlain is likely to start next season in the Yankees' bullpen, as part of the team's effort to limit his innings. Chamberlain will go to spring training and, at the outset, prepare to pitch out of the rotation, along with five other rotation candidates -- Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy. Assuming that none of the other five has a physical or performance breakdown, Chamberlain would then open 2008 in the bullpen, as a set-up man, for at least the start of the season -- under the Joba Rules.
The Yankees want to restrict the number of innings Chamberlain throws, and working him out of the bullpen for at least a couple of months will allow them to do that. Chamberlain may return to the rotation sometime in the middle of the season, depending on the Yankees' needs."
I never want to see Mussina in the starting rotation again.
PJ - 36
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Yu Darvish On Yankees' Radar?
"Yu Darvish is a 21 year-old Iranian-Japanese starter for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish backs up his celebrity status as perhaps Japan's best pitcher. His Wikipedia page is a good read.
Today, East Windup Chronicle speaks of a thirdhand report indicating the Yankees' intent to acquire Darvish after the 2008 season. Apparently the Dodgers, Mets, and Cubs are on his trail as well. According to the report, Daisuke Matsuzaka's $8.6MM salary would be the floor with Darvish. And I'm guessing his posting fee would easily exceed Dice-K's $51.1MM.
Two huge questions remain. Are the Fighters actually considering posting Darvish after the '08 season? The loss of such a popular player would be a huge hit for Japanese baseball. Also, does Darvish even want to play in the U.S.? "
PJ - 36
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Taxpayers will fund Yankees' VIP parking, NYC gets less money
The Yankees and hundreds of their VIPs will get free valet parking for the next 40 years, courtesy of New York taxpayers. The startling revelation of yet another subsidy for the richest team in baseball is buried deep in the fine print of a $237 million tax-exempt bond offering that city officials quietly issued the week before Christmas. The documents say a $70 million state subsidy for parking improvements for the new Yankee Stadium (slated to open next year) has been earmarked for a new 660-car valet parking garage where virtually all the spaces will be reserved for the free, year-round use of the Yankees and their VIPs.
Yu Darvish On Yankees' Radar?
"Yu Darvish is a 21 year-old Iranian-Japanese starter for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish backs up his celebrity status as perhaps Japan's best pitcher. His Wikipedia page is a good read.
Today, East Windup Chronicle speaks of a thirdhand report indicating the Yankees' intent to acquire Darvish after the 2008 season. Apparently the Dodgers, Mets, and Cubs are on his trail as well. According to the report, Daisuke Matsuzaka's $8.6MM salary would be the floor with Darvish. And I'm guessing his posting fee would easily exceed Dice-K's $51.1MM.
Two huge questions remain. Are the Fighters actually considering posting Darvish after the '08 season? The loss of such a popular player would be a huge hit for Japanese baseball. Also, does Darvish even want to play in the U.S.? "
Oh good, someone to room with Kei Igawa. Maybe Irabu can become the pitching coach
looks like the yanks are still trying to get johan......
Returning from their holiday recess, the Yankees still have what senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner believes is the best offer to finalize a deal for Twins ace Johan Santana.
Steinbrenner told the New York Daily News in Thursday's editions that the Yankees will work on a final decision regarding their potential trade for the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, perhaps drawing the months-old process to conclusion.
"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner told the newspaper. "I feel confident they're not going to trade him before checking with us one last time, and I think they think we've already made the best offer."
Discussions with Minnesota have largely revolved around the inclusion of right-hander Phil Hughes and outfielder Melky Cabrera, though the Yankees balked when the Twins pressed to add right-hander Ian Kennedy to the package.
New York has deemed Joba Chamberlain -- on his way to the starting rotation after a stunning debut as a setup man -- to be untouchable, though it is believed that pitching prospect Jeff Marquez could go to the Twins in a potential Santana trade.
"It's still the best one," Steinbrenner said. "And let's face it, we're the best able to handle the kind of contract [extension] Santana will be after."
The allure of acquiring Santana is easy to figure on the Yankees' behalf, especially with the rival Red Sox still involved in the discussions.
"At the same time, we won't be in it to keep him from them," Steinbrenner said. "Each team is in it for what they can handle. We have great young pitching, that's the main plan. Do we want to put Santana in there, who's 29 [in March], to be an ace for a few years? I know a majority of fans don't want to lose Hughes."
Santana was 15-13 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts for the Twins in 2007, walking 49 and striking out 235 in 219 innings, including a 17-strikeout performance on Aug. 19 against the Rangers.
Santana led the AL in strikeouts for three consecutive years from 2004-06, including winning the ERA title twice. He owns a full no-trade clause and would need to approve any deal to a potential suitor, which would also likely require a contract extension that could fetch as much as six years and $120 million.
Steinbrenner said that the dialogue between the Yankees and Twins -- mostly on hold since the Yankees' self-imposed a deadline during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., early in December -- is expected to increase.
"We're not desperate, so we're not going to chase anything," Steinbrenner said. "In the next two weeks, we're going to have to get everything done. I either have to do [a Santana deal] or don't do it, same thing for the Red Sox, I guess.
"I think the Twins would like to keep him, so I don't think there's any hurry on anyone's part. It all depends on what he asks for in an extension. You obviously have to be very careful with pitchers, for obvious reasons."
Steinbrenner said that even if the Yankees stand pat and do not acquire Santana, their chances for the 2008 season should be strong.
"We're going to have the best pitching by far in baseball in two or three years, and we'll be tough this year," Steinbrenner said. "We obviously already have position players."
Hank likes to talk. I still say that is too much to give up between the players traded and what you have to pay Johan. I'm not convinced that he will even get traded at all. I hope he doesn't.
I read a few places today and was old told from a baseball guru that the oakland a's are shopping huston street. just a thought....would make sense for the yanks to go for him as a setup man for mo?? this way joba can be inserted into the rotation without concern that the pen is too week.
just don't know who they'd have to give up
PJ - 36
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Some baseball executives wonder if federal investigators will uncover trainers and batboys in other cities, in Los Angeles or Kansas City or Boston or Texas or some other place. "You have to figure that there was a Kirk Radomski in just about every clubhouse," a GM said the other day. "It wasn't only in New York."
But so far, the fallout from the Mitchell report is generally confined to New York, where Radomski and Brian McNamee mostly worked. Some friends who are Yankees fans have believed all along in the conspiracy theory that New York got the most scrutiny because George Mitchell is on the board of directors of the Red Sox.
That's way too Oliver Stone-ish for me. Mitchell's investigators didn't dig up McNamee and Radomski -- it was the feds who did that -- and beyond that, I just can't see Mitchell sitting in his office plotting to make life miserable for the Yankees.
But the reality is that the Yankees are going to be knee-deep in this mess for months, and it could be an enormous distraction. Their No. 2 starter -- someone who was already on the fence about possibly retiring -- is going to spend a lot of the time usually reserved for preparation talking with lawyers. Assuming that Roger Clemens' defamation suit against McNamee goes forward, it figures that depositions will be taken from some executives and players of the Yankees, including Andy Pettitte. And as the revelations leak out from those depositions, inevitably, the Yankees will be caught in the wake of the headlines. It figures to be a long and ugly summer of steroid talk in New York, and much less so in Boston.
The stakes just keep going up for McNamee, Clemens and Pettitte, with word that the congressional hearing scheduled for Jan. 16 has been postponed so that more information can be gathered, much of it in the form of depositions. There is no turning back now.
I read a few places today and was old told from a baseball guru that the oakland a's are shopping huston street. just a thought....would make sense for the yanks to go for him as a setup man for mo?? this way joba can be inserted into the rotation without concern that the pen is too week.
just don't know who they'd have to give up
closer to set-up man doesn't always translate so well ::cough:: eric gagne ::cough::
plus, billy beane wouldn't just hand street over to a team like the yanks or red sox or mets without getting a couple quality prospects in return as he has already stated that 2008 will be a rebuilding year.
Comments
"You can tell a lot about a player in bad times. As writers, we often remark about how some players are more quotable after losses because that’s when they’re the most honest.
So it was interesting to observe the reactions of Brian Bruney and Miguel Cairo today when they were taken off the roster. Bruney quickly packed his bags and stormed out of the room. “No I don’t,” he said when I asked him if he had a minute to speak.
Bruney then knocked over a chair on his way out of the room.
But at least he has a team to play for. Cairo was designated for assignment and could well be released. But he walked around, embraced all his teammates and then stood at his locker and said what it meant to him to play for the Yankees.
“It’s hard because I’ve been here three years and it’s a good group of people. The coaches are unbelievable and there’s a good manager. For me, it was an honor to be here,” he said.
Bruney is only 25, so let’s give him a pass. But it’s too bad he wasn’t around to see how Cairo handled himself.
As for Cairo, it made sense that he was the one to go. But I’m not sure the Yankees are a half-game out of the wild card race without him. Back in June, when the only other choice at first base was Josh Phelps, he filled in admirably.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/12/15/pettitte.hgh.ap/index.html
dontrelle willis is a major x-factor. we all know what he's capable of, but i don't personally think he has a ton of value right now.
2005: 22-10 2.63 ERA 1.13 WHIP .243 BAA 151 ERA+
2006: 12-12 3.87 ERA 1.42 WHIP .274 BAA 112 ERA+
2007: 10-15 5.17 ERA 1.60 WHIP .294 BAA 83 ERA+ :eek:
1022.2 major league innings pitched before turning 26. the marlins mishandled the hell out of him. i guess he's young enough to recover, but who knows?
with the haren deal, i'm really just going by what i've read:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Anauqfnh78HmlHLUlsXCzKkRvLYF?slug=dbackswinbigbutashaulinb&prov=tsn&type=lgns
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/265320.html
it sounds like a pretty good haul. beane didn't need to trade haren. he just realized that there would be a huge market for him and that the A's wouldn't be able to compete with seattle or anaheim in 2008 with or without him.
garza for young is an even trade in the sense that it fills needs for both teams. personally, i'd rather have delmon young (all else being equal).
and my feeling is that you need to get significantly more for santana than you got for garza. would you say that the jacoby ellsbury package is significantly better than the delmon young package? i'm not trying to minimize the value of lowrie or masterson, but ellsbury vs. young seems like a toss up to me (i'm using ellsbury as an example instead of lester or hughes because ellsbury vs. young makes for the easiest direct comparison).
i guess it's possible that i'm placing too little value on matt garza. he had a very good year at age 23. but i wouldn't trade hughes for him. probably not kennedy either (although i'd have to think about that one). lester for garza? that's your call. you know more about lester than i do.
as for cashman, i'm cautiously optimistic that he's still in charge. as this offseason plays out, i'm become more and more convinced that hank steinbrenner is (hopefully) just a front for what's really going on. he's like the college kid who starts bar fights and then hides behind his larger friends while continuing to run his mouth.
yeah. he lashed out at the coaching staff when they told him to throw more strikes. he made some comment about how his job is to avoid giving up hits.
bruney has a very high ceiling, but i just don't see him ever reaching it.
it's disappointing but not at all surprising. at least he was man enough to admit it.
i just wish all the other HGH users around baseball would have been forced to do the same.
or we could just continue to believe that the problem is entirely yankee-centric. :rolleyes:
andy pettitte is probably my 2nd favorite yankee player behind derek jeter. honest. i believe pettitte for exactly what he said in his statement but i have a major problem with this part:
"This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," he said. "I wasn't looking for an edge. I was looking to heal."
sorry, but hgh to heal faster IS an edge. also, his statement doesn't come across as a true apology to me. that's just the way i'm taking it, but i'm glad he had the balls to come out and say he did do it.
dontrelle is a total X factor. comerica is a pitcher's park, but i think the AL line-ups will eat him up. he'll be a serviceable #4 SP and being lefty doesn't hurt.
i agree that beane essentially knew the a's were not going to be all that great in 2008, so he sold while the SP market is hot and picked up a lot of minor league talent, although i really think the AL west is a very wide open race, granted beane can't spend to add talent.
i think the ellsbury, lowrie, masterson and a prospect or two offer is very solid. you have to take into consideration that all of the players acquired by minnesota would be under their control for 5-6 years at very cheap money. personally i think ellsbury has an ichiro-type ceiling, meaning he'll be a solid lead-off hitter, get on base a lot, steal 40+ bases, hit around .300 and play solid CF. lowrie is almost major league ready and can play either 2nd or SS and is in the pedroia mold. masterson is all potential, but he's a beast - a 6'6" sinkerballer. my mind is blank on the other possible pitching prospect is.
i'm not a huge lester fan, but i think he has a ton of potentially to grow. he just needs to cut down on his walks. if he can pitch close to what he did in game 4 of the w.s. then that is a young pitcher i want on my team. garza is young, so you really can't look at his one season and make a solid end all decision on him.
if the yanks were to give up hughes, cabrera and another prospect, i think that offer is stronger than the ellsbury offer, just because you would get two young players that have already contributed and are major league ready for opening day 2008. it is hard to compare hughes vs. ellsbury because obviously one is a pitcher and one is a CF.
i think hank is the real deal. i think he's just trying to be like his dad was back in the day and isn't getting all that much input or feedback from the baseball people.
From what I've heard other players who took it in the past was just to heal faster. So it's basically going back to their original level or close to it. If he was healthy and taking it. Then that's different.
Finally unlike the past few years its seems as if we have a solid compound to work off of:
No more A-rod drama & opt out drama. He's a yankee for 10 years. Done.
No more coaching drama and questions
No jobs in jeopardry
No Clemens retirement drama
No more free agent question marks (Posada & Mo)
Hopefully this steroid/mitchell drama will be over & dealt with
No personal milestones, #'s to meet, or records to break
Last year in the stadium
No more Pavano as. 2007 opening day starter should've clearly indicated we were in a for a wild and doomed year
With Girardi and all of the above resolved we finally have a TEAM and can play baseaball. Not media-ball.
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
to use hgh to heal faster IS an edge. if player A and player B both sprain their ankle to the same severity but player B takes hgh to heal quicker and player A just rests to heal...player B has an edge. or am i wrong?
You're right. If you're talking about pettitte though, do you think using it for 2 days does anything whatsoever?
The contract issue and the #500 are in the past, but I don't think any of us really think the drama is "done" with A-Rod. There is always something with him.
Things I'm looking forward to:
A full season of Phil Hughes.
Robbie Cano winning a batting title.
Watching Wang win 19 games and maybe even unveiling some new pitches.
Seeing Joba pitch more than 2 innings at a time.
Ian Kenedy battling for a spot in the rotation.
Seeing how Girardi and Eiland handle the pitchers.
i really can't imagine that using hgh for 2 days did much of anything.
as i said before, i'm glad he stepped up and admitted unlike some other players. i was just more disappointed at how he his statement in the way to imply that by using to heal quicker he wasn't using it for an edge, which is just (in my opinion) a dumb train of thought.
less than 2 months until spring training, right?
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ticketing/holiday_ticket_pack.jsp
i went for the fujifilm pack. 11 games for $72.50 per person.
"Heard this: If all goes well in spring training for the Yankees, Joba Chamberlain is likely to start next season in the Yankees' bullpen, as part of the team's effort to limit his innings. Chamberlain will go to spring training and, at the outset, prepare to pitch out of the rotation, along with five other rotation candidates -- Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy. Assuming that none of the other five has a physical or performance breakdown, Chamberlain would then open 2008 in the bullpen, as a set-up man, for at least the start of the season -- under the Joba Rules.
The Yankees want to restrict the number of innings Chamberlain throws, and working him out of the bullpen for at least a couple of months will allow them to do that. Chamberlain may return to the rotation sometime in the middle of the season, depending on the Yankees' needs."
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Yu Darvish On Yankees' Radar?
"Yu Darvish is a 21 year-old Iranian-Japanese starter for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish backs up his celebrity status as perhaps Japan's best pitcher. His Wikipedia page is a good read.
Today, East Windup Chronicle speaks of a thirdhand report indicating the Yankees' intent to acquire Darvish after the 2008 season. Apparently the Dodgers, Mets, and Cubs are on his trail as well. According to the report, Daisuke Matsuzaka's $8.6MM salary would be the floor with Darvish. And I'm guessing his posting fee would easily exceed Dice-K's $51.1MM.
Two huge questions remain. Are the Fighters actually considering posting Darvish after the '08 season? The loss of such a popular player would be a huge hit for Japanese baseball. Also, does Darvish even want to play in the U.S.? "
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Taxpayers will fund Yankees' VIP parking, NYC gets less money
The Yankees and hundreds of their VIPs will get free valet parking for the next 40 years, courtesy of New York taxpayers. The startling revelation of yet another subsidy for the richest team in baseball is buried deep in the fine print of a $237 million tax-exempt bond offering that city officials quietly issued the week before Christmas. The documents say a $70 million state subsidy for parking improvements for the new Yankee Stadium (slated to open next year) has been earmarked for a new 660-car valet parking garage where virtually all the spaces will be reserved for the free, year-round use of the Yankees and their VIPs.
Oh good, someone to room with Kei Igawa. Maybe Irabu can become the pitching coach
I guess Scranton will have to open an upscale authentic Japanese restaurant.
Returning from their holiday recess, the Yankees still have what senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner believes is the best offer to finalize a deal for Twins ace Johan Santana.
Steinbrenner told the New York Daily News in Thursday's editions that the Yankees will work on a final decision regarding their potential trade for the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, perhaps drawing the months-old process to conclusion.
"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner told the newspaper. "I feel confident they're not going to trade him before checking with us one last time, and I think they think we've already made the best offer."
Discussions with Minnesota have largely revolved around the inclusion of right-hander Phil Hughes and outfielder Melky Cabrera, though the Yankees balked when the Twins pressed to add right-hander Ian Kennedy to the package.
New York has deemed Joba Chamberlain -- on his way to the starting rotation after a stunning debut as a setup man -- to be untouchable, though it is believed that pitching prospect Jeff Marquez could go to the Twins in a potential Santana trade.
"It's still the best one," Steinbrenner said. "And let's face it, we're the best able to handle the kind of contract [extension] Santana will be after."
The allure of acquiring Santana is easy to figure on the Yankees' behalf, especially with the rival Red Sox still involved in the discussions.
"At the same time, we won't be in it to keep him from them," Steinbrenner said. "Each team is in it for what they can handle. We have great young pitching, that's the main plan. Do we want to put Santana in there, who's 29 [in March], to be an ace for a few years? I know a majority of fans don't want to lose Hughes."
Santana was 15-13 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts for the Twins in 2007, walking 49 and striking out 235 in 219 innings, including a 17-strikeout performance on Aug. 19 against the Rangers.
Santana led the AL in strikeouts for three consecutive years from 2004-06, including winning the ERA title twice. He owns a full no-trade clause and would need to approve any deal to a potential suitor, which would also likely require a contract extension that could fetch as much as six years and $120 million.
Steinbrenner said that the dialogue between the Yankees and Twins -- mostly on hold since the Yankees' self-imposed a deadline during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., early in December -- is expected to increase.
"We're not desperate, so we're not going to chase anything," Steinbrenner said. "In the next two weeks, we're going to have to get everything done. I either have to do [a Santana deal] or don't do it, same thing for the Red Sox, I guess.
"I think the Twins would like to keep him, so I don't think there's any hurry on anyone's part. It all depends on what he asks for in an extension. You obviously have to be very careful with pitchers, for obvious reasons."
Steinbrenner said that even if the Yankees stand pat and do not acquire Santana, their chances for the 2008 season should be strong.
"We're going to have the best pitching by far in baseball in two or three years, and we'll be tough this year," Steinbrenner said. "We obviously already have position players."
just don't know who they'd have to give up
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Some baseball executives wonder if federal investigators will uncover trainers and batboys in other cities, in Los Angeles or Kansas City or Boston or Texas or some other place. "You have to figure that there was a Kirk Radomski in just about every clubhouse," a GM said the other day. "It wasn't only in New York."
But so far, the fallout from the Mitchell report is generally confined to New York, where Radomski and Brian McNamee mostly worked. Some friends who are Yankees fans have believed all along in the conspiracy theory that New York got the most scrutiny because George Mitchell is on the board of directors of the Red Sox.
That's way too Oliver Stone-ish for me. Mitchell's investigators didn't dig up McNamee and Radomski -- it was the feds who did that -- and beyond that, I just can't see Mitchell sitting in his office plotting to make life miserable for the Yankees.
But the reality is that the Yankees are going to be knee-deep in this mess for months, and it could be an enormous distraction. Their No. 2 starter -- someone who was already on the fence about possibly retiring -- is going to spend a lot of the time usually reserved for preparation talking with lawyers. Assuming that Roger Clemens' defamation suit against McNamee goes forward, it figures that depositions will be taken from some executives and players of the Yankees, including Andy Pettitte. And as the revelations leak out from those depositions, inevitably, the Yankees will be caught in the wake of the headlines. It figures to be a long and ugly summer of steroid talk in New York, and much less so in Boston.
The stakes just keep going up for McNamee, Clemens and Pettitte, with word that the congressional hearing scheduled for Jan. 16 has been postponed so that more information can be gathered, much of it in the form of depositions. There is no turning back now.
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Forecast for Spring: More Yankees Drama
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/sports/baseball/10yankees.html?_r=2&ref=sports&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
closer to set-up man doesn't always translate so well ::cough:: eric gagne ::cough::
plus, billy beane wouldn't just hand street over to a team like the yanks or red sox or mets without getting a couple quality prospects in return as he has already stated that 2008 will be a rebuilding year.