Girardi announcement coming today
-
- October
- 30
Word from Tampa is the Yankees will conduct a conference call today to officially name Joe Girardi as manager. The contracts of the assistant coaches expire tomorrow and that has to be dealt with immediately as they want to negotiate with Kevin Long and Tony Pena before they get on the market.
Long should get himself a nice package as the Yankees know Joe Torre would hire him for the Dodgers. Long resides in Arizona, so working for Los Angeles would have an appeal.
I’ll try and post the audio from the call once it is finished. No time has been set yet.
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on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 7:15 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
Nice. Let’s hope Pena and Bowa stick around.
Pete, any word on the other coaches’ status?
Peter broke major national news last nite – scoring major face time on ESPN.
http://snipurl.com/1swfn
Clip runs 3:00
Congratulations, Peter!
The wind is blowing 30 MPH here in Florida today and it made me think of the Yanks. Winds of change are blowing. Winds can be cleansing and that’s what it feels like to me regarding our team.
Torre is gone and while we loved and respected him, maybe he held on a year too long. We now have a young new manager who seems not to be afraid to kick a little tail.
The ownership has changed hands as Hank seems to have stepped up. How refreshing to hear directly from the owner instead of a paid flunky. Even if you don’t always like what you hear you know it is comong from the new boss.
A-rod is gone and while some bemoan that fact, I think it is for the good. Yes his production will be missed. However his salary gone means Cash can pay for two really good relief pitchers if they are out there.
So for all of you who feel in the dumps over what has transpired the past few days, stop, and take a deep breath of the fresh wind. The Yankees will be back soon with some new faces, a new attitude, and as always one goal, a 27th championship.
The wind is blowing 30 MPH here in Florida today and it made me think of the Yanks. Winds of change are blowing. Winds can be cleansing and that’s what it feels like to me regarding our team.
Torre is gone and while we loved and respected him, maybe he held on a year too long. We now have a young new manager who seems not to be afraid to kick a little tail.
The ownership has changed hands as Hank seems to have stepped up. How refreshing to hear directly from the owner instead of a paid flunky. Even if you don’t always like what you hear you know it is coming from the new boss.
A-rod is gone and while some bemoan that fact, I think it is for the good. Yes his production will be missed. However his salary gone means Cash can pay for two really good relief pitchers if they are out there.
So for all of you who feel in the dumps over what has transpired the past few days, stop, and take a deep breath of the fresh wind. The Yankees will be back soon with some new faces, a new attitude, and as always one goal, a 27th championship.
Sorry for the double post. this blog acts funny sometimes.
Why a conference call and not a press conference?
Pete, I just want to say that you did a good job on ESPN while being on the phone. LOL, I thought you rushed your answers to the questions a little, but still a great job.
I was thinking the same thing ugh. Perhaps they will do a press conference at The Stadium after the whole coaching staff has been officially determined?
Did I set my dvr for nothing? I hope they hold an official press conference!!
Maybe they are just officially naming him. I can’t see the Yankees not go thru the pomp and circumstance that they always do. Maybe Thursday?
I was thinking about the Arod stuff last night.
Has there ever been a player of his magnitude in american team sports that has no real identity with any team in his career?
Think about it for a moment. He just finished his 13th year in MLB and he isn’t really attached to any one team.
When people think of him, they certainly don’t think of him as a Mariner or Ranger. A Yankee? Probably the closest identity he has had to a team and that’s now gone.
I can’t think of another player who has played with his talent who has no team identity.
If his career ended today, what hat does he wear into the HOF? Does Scott decide to hold an auction on E-Bay to choose the hat? Does Alex go in hatless?
When you think about it, its a metaphor to his entire career. As great a player as he is, he has no team identity whatsoever. In a way, its kind of sad. Its as if he tries to seperate himself from everybody.
Perhaps that’s why there is so much resentment toward him from guys in the game. Perhaps its why he has never really been accepted in any locker room he has been in for his entire career.
The closest he came to full acceptance in a locker room was this year and he chucked it.
Perhaps I’m too old school to understand it. However, it seems to me he is missing out on the best part of being a member of a team. The long lasting friendships/relationships that come from those experiences.
You see Old Timers Day and how teammates re-connect and share their experiences. Arod will never have that. Sure, he has a ton of money. So does Derek Jeter. So do many players in this era of baseball.
However, Jeter will have a lifetime of friendships and experiences to share with teammates.
Arod? Its he and Scott in an office in Newport Beach, talking about the “good ‘ol days”. Doesn’t seem quite the same to me.
This was posted on another board for 10/00
LOL WHAT A JOKE HE IS!
I just don’t understand the Mattingly to the Dodgers rumor. Yeah his son is in the farm system, but he’s in low A ball and really didn’t do a whole lot last year. His prospect status is based more on his pedigree than actual ability. Besides what does Donnie have to gain by being a bench coach there? Its not like Torre is growing him to manage the Dodgers, Torre is there to win and to win for as long as possible. And since when are Donnie and Torre best friends? IdK just seems a little weird.
But I wish the both of them luck, as long as they don’t get arod. Both class acts, hate to see them leave but thats the nature of the beast. Take it to the series Dodgers, then lose to the yanks :). And yeah that would be a great idea if Hurdle brings back Torre to manage the all-star game. We could cheer Torre and boo arod in the same day, very nice.
I’m done even wthinking about A-Hole. I hope he goes to the Sux and reestablishes the curse.
It is unbelievable that A-Rod would leave the situation he’s in now.
He’s already been in this spot before and he begged to get out of Texas.
It’s the Yankees. He wouldn’t be nickel and dimed here.
I know you mention that Yankees will want to sign Kevin Long, but is’nt Rudy Jaramillo available? I hear so many great things about him. I think Kevin Long is very good, I have to admit that I had never seen Giambi hit opposite field until he got here, so that to me is an effect of the hitting coach as well as the second half improvelment of all the hitters, but Rudy Jaramillo seems to carry a lot of clout as a batting coach.
If Hank Steinbrenner wants to show some class right away and endear himself to every Yankee fan he would sign Jeter to a one yr extension immediately after A-Rod signs for one dollar more per yr than A-Rod gets.
When you think about great players their teams come right with them.
Gibson cards. Koufax Dodgers. Ripken Orioles. Yount Brewers. And this isn’t even naming the all timers like Ruth, Mays, etc.
Maybe A-Rod gets that with his next team. Doubtful.
The Yankees won titles with Charlies Hayes, Scott Brosius and an old Boggs at 3b.
If the young pitching is as good as we all think they are they’ll take that 35 mil a yr and make it really work for them.
35 mil a yr can buy a lot of good players.
Torre on last nite’s David Letterman Show
http://snipurl.com/1swj1
Clip runs 8:36
How come Yankee fans can’t see the hypocrisy of dumping on A-Rod for the money, when you yourselves have benefitted from players leaving their home franchise to come to the Yankees for $$$$???
Giambi? Damon? Mussina? Randy Johnson? Carl Pavano? Kei Igawa? Even back in the day: Reggie? Catfish?
How come you can so easily dismiss the classy Yankees like Mel Stottlemyre (a true Yankee), Bernie, Joe, and now, Donnie Baseball and Ron Guidry? All of whom have been treated shabbily by management.
How bout some outrage, instead of only for A-Rod, directed at the Steinbrenner Boys and Randy Levine, for their mis-management of this whole process?
I won’t defend A-Rod – he’s a pirate lurking on the waters for another ship to loot. But don’t act like A-Rod – who won you a lot of games with his 54 HRs and 156 RBIs – is all that different from Roger Clemens who left you to “retire”, then “surprise” he’s in Houston. Then he comes back to Yankee-land, while Suzyn gushes, to make $9,000 per pitch. That isn’t A-Rod all over?
You need to return to the class of the late 90s – the Paul O’Neill, Scott Brosius crew. You don’t get that back by bashing A-Rod, and acting like Torre should’ve been fired.
The Yanks should have offered Torre a job upstairs if they wanted him out. Transition Don Mattingly if they’re giving the job to Girardi – maybe Donnie manages in Triple-A for a year.
You like feisty? You got it with Joe Girardi. You like getting loud and getting tough? Appeals to your demand that the Yanks win every year? We’ll see if it works.
Getting loud don’t get you 8 innings from a starting pitcher. Being smart, and bringing along Hughes and Kennedy and Joba properly does.
Smart baseball fans know you can’t win every year. But you position yourself well. The Yankees have been doing that – but the avarice of the owners and the rabid fans for annual crowns have cost them quality, classy players.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
SEE ALL ABOUT IT!
http://tinyurl.com/3cs7bc
Isn’t and exciting day!
Today’s Front Covers !!
The excitement continues with even MORE Front Covers
http://tinyurl.com/3c9ygw
Members of the Empire, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the NEXT Manager of the New York Yankees!
http://tinyurl.com/2uqypl
Clip runs 1:51
Thank you, Don Zimmer
Still not happy with Girardi getting the job. I don’t like him, don’t think he is the right fit.
I wonder how long it will be till everyone is tired of his dry as a popcorn fart ways wears thin.
Ya know beatcake, a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down in the most delightful way.
Dr. A you are the best!
Of course, I’ll be in class when the news goes official…
SJ44,
I completely agree with you on Arod. He is all about Team ARod, I don’t think he cares about his team, I don’t think he cares about the league. And it’s crazy to me that he continues to find it hard to understand why the media, fans and other players dislike him. Next time Arod thinks people are just jealous, I have two words for him:
Michael Jordan
Jimbo… Paul O’Neil won a world series with the reds before our team got a hold of him…
Doc: You d’man!
Peter: nice job on the phone.
(How long until The Times calls with a gig for ya, big guy?)
Thanks for the clips, Dr. A!
So who wants to text me when the news goes official?
Rebecca I heard on the radio that he accepted the contract. 3 year deal, that is all that was released as of now.
I can’t post
I’ll try again!! It is official, he accepted the deal.
good for joe torre and don mattingly. Does this impact mariano and posada at all? anyone, anyone?
I know that the dodgers have a catcher, but closer…...????
I wonder if the captain will be at Joe’s press conference.
Russell Martin is the catcher in LA and Saito is the closer.
I don’t see Posada and Rivera following Torre to LA.
I’m sure Scott Proctor’s arm is loving the news of a return engagement with Torre.
Also while Jorge and Mo may have loved playing for Joe, do they really always want to be attached to him?
Hey, I jusst realized that David Wells was with the Dodgers at the end of the season. Ha! Guess he won’t be coming back.
I don’t think so either. LOL Now Bernie I could see following Joe out to LAD.
The Dodgers have a ton of young talent. Frank McCourt is one of the cheapest owners in the league.
His big money acquisition may just be Torre. I don’t see him actively pursuing older free agents.
SJ44—
It is truly unbelievable that an individual would be so blinded by the forest that he doesn’t see the trees. ARod could have the whole package right here, it’s right under his nose. But his priorities are a little out of whack. That’s sad for him, and also too bad for the Yankees from a pure professional viewpoint. I’m very confused by the handful of people who are saying the Yankees backed themselves into a corner on this and have only themselves to blame for not having ARod back. I think the Yankees took a very understandable position. They were not going to lowball ARod if he decided to stay – they were going to offer him a very lucrative contract, and arguably one that no other team could compete with. With ARod opting out, he makes it clear that he does not want to stay with the Yankees. It’s plain and simple to me. Because if you are truly content where you are, you extend your contract. From the Yankees point of view, ARod’s opting out only benefits ARod. So, to me, their stance was a no-brainer. It’s a business, remember?
On a different note, I am very concerned that Mariano and Jorge (and Pettitte) are not going to be back in pinstripes. This is not their team anymore. Those three and Jeter are the only players remaining from the “glory days.” There is new manager, for all intents and purposes, new ownership, and a whole lot of new faces. They really don’t owe the Yankees anything, and the Yankees don’t really owe them anything. The only thing that will make them stay is if they do indeed get the best monetary offers from the Yankees. I have learned that players just don’t operate the same way as fans – and that’s not a condemnation, just the way it is. It is their livelihood and our obsession. They don’t make their decisions based on what the fans would like. Fans are fickle, anyway.
So I am getting myself ready for the next series in the news cycle. Posada will be the first to declare free agency, then probably Mariano. Then Pettitte will exercise his option to leave. It’s too much change all at once, and yet it feels like Chinese water torture, a drip at a time.
I know in the long run the Yankees are an organization that is committed to winning and putting a winning team on the field. It’s just not going to be all that easy this time. A lot of their cache is gone, a lot of it due to the fact they haven’t been to the World Series since 2003. In the short term, it’s tough times to be a Yankee fan.
Peter,
ESPN (Olney) reported that Girardi would want to bring on former Cubs pitcher Mike Harkey, perhaps as pitching coach. Is there anything you can tell me about this guy? Will the higher-ups urge an “in-house” pitching coach instead?
Thanks.
Of course, if anyone else has an opinion on Harkey, I’d love to hear it – as I know nothing about this guy.
I know there have been a lot of jokes about Proctor’s arm upon Joe’s arrival to the Dodgers, but Joe is the one who gave Scott a major league career. I don’t think Scott was lying when he thanked Torre profusely on his way out the door to LA.
SJ44- Scott Proctor is probably getting Dr. James Andrews’s office phone number right now or in the next few minutes.
SJ
Not going too far away from home, how about Clemens? What team does he go into the HOF as? Red Sock, Blue Jay, Yankee, Astro? That may be the closest scenario of an elite athlete who has no 1 team identitiy. A few other ex-patriots who fit the bill are Damon, Lofton and Sheffield.
It might be easier to make a list of elite athletes who only played for the team that drafted them until they retired in the post free agency era. Free agency has been great for players pockets but it has made some interesting bed fellows.
Anyone else find it amusing that Proctor pitches for LA haha…
I wonder what his thoughts are..
I think I am going to go buy a Dodgers hat… I really think Torre is going to turn LA into a successful ballclub again. And any team with Torre and Mattingly is OK in my book.
Also, intrigue about A-Rod in LA since they are one of the few teams that have a spot for him and ability to sign him?
“How bout some outrage, instead of only for A-Rod, directed at the Steinbrenner Boys and Randy Levine, for their mis-management of this whole process?”
Apparently you missed the last several weeks. Or, didn’t actually read the comments back then. People have been dumping on management since the day Joe turned down that offer.
It’s IMPOSSIBLE for me to believe that Alex ACTUALLY doesn’t think the Yankees are going to work to put a competitor on the field for the next five or six years. He’s making himself look worse every time he opens his mouth, just like he always has.
I’m not dumb enough to think that taking his money and buying a couple of good relief pitchers (there aren’t any on the FA market, really, anyway) is the fix either, though. They need to get a 3B and a 1B with some righty pop to help replace his production. They also need to figure out what the right thing to do re: OF and DH are. I’d love for Giambi to go and Matsui/Damon to split LF and DH. But that’s just not going to happen. Maybe they trade Damon, though I don’t know who leads off then.
If Torre really wants Posada maybe we can work a sign and trade deal. Posada for Martin straight up.
Nice job on Sportscenter, Pete.
Take it for what it is worth. I heard on the radio that per a freind of ALex’s he wasn’t very happy that the Yankees leaked out what they would offer him. If this is true could he be a bigger baby? First off who is to know that the numbers leaked actually came from the Yankees, who is to know it is true? Alex needs to grow up and stop making excuses for his own actions. No one held a gun to his head and told him to opt out.
jennifer- Joe G for manager- to the former 3rd bm don’t let the door hit you.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:30 am
This was posted on another board for 10/00
‘’Seattle is definitely in the picture,’’ he said. ‘’Money isn’t my top priority. It might not even be in the top five. I want an organization that is solid and focused and wants to do what it takes to win, to be a contender for the next five or six years. That’s what I am looking for.’’
LOL WHAT A JOKE HE IS!
IS THAT A-FRAUD TALKING ???
”
Not going too far away from home, how about Clemens? What team does he go into the HOF as? Red Sock, Blue Jay, Yankee, Astro? ”
He also played for 25 years. And he was a blue-jay for what, two seasons?
He also only really “bolted for money” when he went to the Jays, right? Then he was traded to the Yanks and re-signed there until he went home to Texas, and we all know how that went.
There just isn’t really a comparison there, I don’t think. Alex was what, six years, three years and four years? All-Star everywhere, MVPs in Texas and NY, no playoff success anywhere. Now he’ll probably have five years of his next deal somewhere else before his contract weighs down the team to the point where they can’t compete and he agrees to a trade back to a contender.
Jennifer
I also heard that and found it ridiculous. The guy is a Boras client and Scott Boras has made a career of using the media as leverage. If he was “outraged” with the Yankees enough to leave for leaking information then why doesn’t he dump Boras for leaking the information about his opting out during game 4 of the world series.
Pat,
Clemens has team identities though. He will always be thought of as a Red Sox or Yankee because of his achievements.
Damon? Definitely as one of the idiots in Boston.
Lofton? Even though he’s well traveled, he will probably be remembered most as an Indian.
Sheffield? Good one. Definitely another guy who has no team identity.
If I was Arod, being lumped in with Gary Sheffield is not the kind of legacy I would be interested in having.
Doreen,
Agree completely. The Yankees played the Arod stuff exactly the right way.
Geez, the guy wouldn’t even return calls from the owner and GM! How many professions allow you to not return calls from the people who sign your checks?
This is the New York Yankees. NOBODY, not even Arod, is bigger than the team. Nor, do they have to resort to BEGGING to keep someone.
If he wants to go, goodbye. Its the only way they could have played it.
I still think Posada and Rivera will re-sign with the Yankees. I think they will make them sweat a bit and it will cost them more than it would have a month ago.
However, in the end, I think both guys are back.
I also think Pettitte will come back and the Yankees will add another year to the deal to sweeten the pot.
Yes that was a-fraud talking in 2000. Money isn’t a factor. Than he goes on to sign the largest contract in history.
I agree with you, SJ44. I think all three guys will be back. Then, really, we need to replace ARod and plug a couple of other holes that we needed to fill anyway. I don’t think this team is in such bad shape. And with new blood managing the team I really think the team can be re-energized and it will be a fun season. Especially without ARod and the “will he or won’t he opt out” question hanging over the team anymore.
I’m sure Joe G has already reached out to both Jorge and Mo about wanting them on the team. And I’m sure he will assure them that he will not be hard nosed with them.
Girardi is gonna piss a lot o f veterans off. The youngsters while very talented aren’t going to get us over the hump next year. Prepare for a rocky 2008.
Yanks have become a joke…Girardi won’t last 2 yrs and Cashman will be gone before July….Donnies son was a 1st round pick so it has nothing to do with pedigree…Yanks blew it and will now pay….........Hope George rolls over in his grave when he sees Torre and Donnie take a title home in La La land…too bad Mattingly will get his first ring and first managerial gig with another team…...George will choke on his oatmeal and Hank will swallow his cigarette
FIRE CASHMAN
If A-Rod ends up in Detroit with Sheffield I will laugh…
That team would also be significantly better—but I think that team rides on Bonderman getting back to form.
Rogers is 90 and Verlander can’t win all the games himself.
Jennifer
It is not in Scott Boras’ business style to allow teams to set market price for a player. He thinks as an agent that is his job.
The Yankees made a business decision to try to take that advantage back by leaking the offer and 24 hours later A-Rod opted out.
That was the reason that Boras said for a week that they would sit down with the Yankees but didn’t want to discuss economics. Once the Yankees went public with the economics, the need for a face to face became irrelevant from Boras side.
If the Yankees could say we made Alex an offer for X dollars, they would have set the bar for other teams to compete off of. Boras couldn’t let that happen so A-Rod opted out.
Business is done like this everyday but it usually doesn’t play out on the front or back pages of a newspaper.
Somewhere in LA Scott Proctor just plunged his arm into a bucket of ice and set fire to his glove.
If Arod decides he hates all of the negative press he is getting and fires Boras, will the Yankee fans accept him back?
Although this is very unlikely, it could happen.
“Alex’s decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do,” Boras said. “He really didn’t want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing.”
*this speaks VOLUMES about how A-Fraud views himself…..MO, Posada and Andy ARE NOT “HIS” Players…they are Yankees….they are YANKEE PLAYERS !!! The Yankees do not and will not be putting together a team with the specific purpose of making A-Fraud happy. Dude…how about a BIG FAT SHUTTY SANDWICH and get your ARSE out the door ? Ba-bye, Mr. Man without a team. We’ll win the WS in 2008 without ya and you can earn your 30mil on a team that gets eliminated from the playoffs in August….SEE YA, LOSER ! Thanks for all of your PostSeason stats the 4 years you darkened our door.
I doubt the Dodgers would complete a trade inolving either Martin or Saito, they’re both younger than Posada and Mo, considerably younger.
You guys are the biggest idiots with this Scott proctor stuff…..Proctor basically has siad many times that he is soo very thankful that Torre pitched him a lot….it helped establish him as a reliable pitcher out of the pen…..This is the problem with the “late 90’s” Yankee fans, ya guys know zip about about baseball and are just a bunch of kids who hopped on the bandwagon
Per ESPN, girardi contract is a three-year deal worth about $7.5 million
Nice contract for Joe G.
nickname the stienbrothers: http://myespn.go.com/s/conversations/show/story/3085638
Jimbo, we don’t get on a-rod for wanting money, we get on him because he constantly says its not about money and he wants things that he HAD here. He’s leaving the Yankees, the only team that has made the playoffs for the last 13 years straight, to go look for a team that puts themselves in a position everyday and says it’s not about money.
Two main points here – 1, if it were about money, he’d probably get his best deal in NY anyway.
2 – nowhere in MLB do you have a better chance to succeed year after year than in NY, nowhere.
If he had the stones to stand up and say, you know what, I cna’t take this media crap anymore, or I don’t like playing next to Jeter, or there’s too many guys in NYC hitting on my wife, or I have a better chance not getting caught cheating on her if I play somewhere else…. or whatever his reasons are for leaving, if he actually just said I want to leave instead of giving BS excuses, we’d still be pissed because he’s a great player and he’s leaving. Sure, we’d be insulted, who wouldn’t want to play here? BUT, at least we’d respect his honesty and his right to leave.
But he will never do that. He spent this year being what SEEMED more true and hones, and as a result “himself” ON the field. Then he proved us all suckers for buying into the “new” and “free” A-Rod. The one who was apparently only free of any shame….
And as far as your references to Joe and Bernie, get a clue. There’s been plenty of outrage over the way Torre was treated. Bernie should have retired and the Yankees did all they could to treat him right. He doesn’t have the skills anymore and wouldn’t retire gracefully, don’t put that on Steinbrenner or Cashman.
Mattingly wasn’t ready to manage yet and they went with what they thought was a better option. He wasn’t slighted or mistreated. He just wasn’t the best man for the job, yet.
A-Rod must have REALLY wanted out of New York.
He leaves behind what could have been a great legacy with a storied franchise. Think about it…
Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Rodriguez.
And after all is said and done, A-Rod being the BEST OF THAT BUNCH.
He gave up his number retired (a way to live on even after your playing days are over), a plaque, a MONUMENT.
Even if he never won a World Series with us, he’d have gotten all three.
The Yankee attendance once rose so high, they had to build Yankee Stadium. The main reason the attendance was up was a guy called Ruth. They called the new stadium “The House That Ruth Built”, even to this day over 80 years later.
You don’t think if he stayed, there wouldn’t be the chance of the same happening with the new stadium?
He just trashed a legacy of being the most storied franchises greatest player ever. I hope all that money makes you happy A-Rod, cause no one but your family will remember you made it when you’re gone. But the number on the wall, the plaque, the monument? That is stuff people will see and remember long after you’re gone, just like a Hall of Fame plaque. Sadly, now you get only one.
But, hey, at least now we all know you for the fraud you are.
Best player? Surely! Irreplaceable in the Yankee lineup? Damned near. Good teammate? Nope. Decent person? Not at all.
Enjoy counting your money somewhere in California as you finish out your career never winning (or probably even playing in) a World Series.
nud –
Congratulations for being old and arrogant. If you followed Proctor, or Messrs. Sturtze, Quantrill, Gordon you would understand the joke. What are they supposed to say – “yeah, he used me too much”? Torre overused them all.
Enjoy your jello and find a Dodgers board if any of them care enough to have one about their team.
Saito isn’t much younger than Mo at all, but there is no way that Russell Martin is traded. Martin is a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. There were many unhappy Dodger fans and players when Paul LoDuca was traded. LoDuca was their vocal leader. I don’t think that they will go down the road of trading their leader again, and Martin is just that and a terrific player who has many years left.
A-Rod just wants to go along and get all of the ink and not worry about his teammates. Former Michigan head football coach Bo Schembechler always said that it was about “the team, the team, the team.” Somebody needs to teach that principle to A-Rod.
SJ
I disagree. I think A-Rod like Clemens had a team identity everywhere he played. The difference is that on the east coast and as Yankee fans, we are more exposed to all things Yankees/Red Sox and not exposed to all things west of the eastern time zone. Friends in CA were talking about A-Rod as a Mariner in the 90’s when all the casual fan in NY knew about him was he was good and he was friends with Jeter. The contract surely made everyone aware that he was a Texas Ranger but he wasn’t a household name until he came East.
I agree that Damon will always be identified with the Red Sox because of 2004 but he played more years in KC than he played in Boston.
If a player reaches a milestone in a uniform, they are forever tied to that uniform but that doesn’t mean they don’t have identity in the other uniforms they wore.
Since 1996 the year torre started with the yankees, the dodgers have had 6 managers, including Tommy Lasorda, who was torre ages when he was retired.
Jen-
Scott Boras is a great mercenary, but when it comes to PR, he’s complete failure. In my experience, transactional attorneys are plum-dumb when it comes to mass appeal.
Instead of stopping, Boras keeps digging a deeper hole. How can TeamBoras complain about negotiating in the press, when Boras himself SHOUTED AFraud was worth a Billion dollars in YES revenue.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302007/sports/yankees/boras_opts_to_complain_agent__.htm
OMG is he serious?? He doesn’t understand the difference between him and Jorge and Mo? ALEX LET ME REFRESH YOUR MEMORY! YOU HAD A CONTRACT!!! Jorge and Mo DON’T!! You opted out of a contract. In interviews Alex would try to act inteligent, when he just acted like a fool.
and you know, as far as a-rod’s “waiting to see what Mo and Po and Andy do…” That’s all well and good (it’s bs, but let’s pretend he means that for the sake of argument), but as important as these guys are to the team, they’re not going to be here for 8 or 10 more years as A-Rod would have been. He and Boras talk about long-term goals of where the team is heading, yet he’s pinning his opt-out on the status of guys that will only be here for another 2 or 3 years in all probability.
More evidence that it’s all bs.
Jennifer
Let me ask you the same question I posed last night; if Andy Pettitte opts out of the $16M he could get from the Yankees and pitches for someone else in 2008, would you be angry at him?
Do not make the mistake of comparing Andy Pettitte to Alex Rodriguez.
Pat Yes I will. Espically since he said he would only pitch for the Yankees if he pitches in 2008. The Yankees gave him a contract that had a player option because it made him feel more comfortable.
Per ESPN, girardi contract is a three-year deal worth about $7.5 million
I’m insulted !!
Arod options, not so bright after all:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/10/sizing-up-a-rod.html
maybe Mattingly wants to get more experience in LA.. He wants to be a manager but the only team that would contemplate that at present would be the Yanks. Do not close the door on Mattingly managing the yanks one day.
never say never.
Andy Pettitte is to Alex Rodriguez like Don Mattingly is to Steve Sax
Andy Pettitte’s not going anywhere so that’s a moot point. He will either retire or come back to the Yankees. He has said that repeatedly. Houston is out of the picture because they refused to make a commitment to him after last season. That alienated him from the organization, even if it is near his home.
Arod is even a bigger mercenary then Clemens.. Clemens is remembered as either a yank or proobably(i hate to say) but a red sux…
Arod will get a big contract somewhere but he blew it, he has completed his reputation as all that is bad with pro sports.. The sad thing is he plays hard, never misses a game, and is so talentd but he has a mental flaw of some kind…
he is one weird dude… enjoy a cold beer with boras reminiscing about the good ole days in about 20 yrs like SJ said…
I can see Mattingly managing the Yanks in the future after he’s managed somewhere else first, but hopefully Girardi will be a good fit and we won’t have to worry about it for a long time to come!
Pat,
I don’t think the issue with Arod is him opting out. Its how he did it.
Upstaging the WS, not returning a call or text message from his employers, (who defended him numerous times after his infamous off field foibles), that’s the kind of stuff that turns people off.
Most of us understand its a business. However, HOW you do business is an indicator as to what type of guy you are.
I really like Scott Boras. I think he’s the best in the business. However, in this case, he badly bungled this announcement.
It just feeds into all the negativity people in and around the game have about Arod.
If he wants to leave, that’s fine by me. I am not one who believes people should stay with the Yankees just for the sake of staying there.
I think Arod really liked playing in NY. I also know he does whatever Scott tells him to do and its been that way since he was 17 years old.
I think Scott already has a new destination lined up, for huge dollars, and its a place he wants Arod to go to.
Once that’s the case, he’s gone. Its the “how” that turns people off.
Its just bad business and it makes him look real bad.
For a guy that needs all the good PR he can muster, This could have been handled better on their end.
“It’s too much change all at once, and yet it feels like Chinese water torture, a drip at a time.”
doreen-
i think for the fan base it’s more like the old story about how if you put a frog in boiling water it’ll jump out immediately, but if the frog is put in water that the temperature is raised slowly, the frog will just stay there until it’s boiled to death.
the yankees should have been working on arod since the day they were eliminated. they procrastinated and ran out of time which is par for the course. the average fan doesn’t get it that the yankees are poorly mangaged at the top and have been since swindall took over. sure they do some good things like the youth movement, ,but that’s mostly cashman and he’s on a one year contract. good management would lock up cashman so he could continue his plan.
without arod , it’s even more important to have cashman locked in with a comprehensive plan to give direction. what if next spring things start slowy and the pressure builds for a santana trade. does cashman sell the farm to save his job to get another year or does he take a long range view and do the job right?
there is no equivalent at the top to henry and lucchino at the top of the yankee heirarchy. the red sox have a billionaire and a hardass( pain in the) lawyer who’s paid his dues in the game who delegates baseball decisions to a young hungry gm in theo.
everyone can say what they want about boras , but few organizations have a front office that can match his staff and his organization. he’s the one who’s cutting egde and not the hank steinbrenners of the world.
hank vs boras across a table will end up with boras winning almost every time.
the one hope is that girardi may work miracles, but it won’t be because of a sharp ownership; it’ll be despite it.
poorly managed? I think I’ve agreed with about every decision they’ve made so far.
sucks about arod, but we can tell now he had no intentions of coming back. i like the strong stance they’ve taken, and i really wonder where they are going to get this money from.
i was of the mind that a change in managers was needed, and i think Girardi was the right guy to bring in.
I’m surprised Torre took another managing job. I figured that he would wind up taking a media job, sitting back and just enjoy life.
Good luck to him and Donnie.
Assuming Mattingly takes the bench coach job, it will be very strange to see him in another uniform.
Pete,
What do you think about Aaron Boone as a 3B option next season (as suggested by Ty Klepner on NYTimes.com today)?
If A-Rod had any intentions of staying a Yankee he would have taken the 10 days and heard what there offer would have been.
To opt out in the 8th inning of the Series was just stupid and showed he wanted no part of NY.
One player doesn’t win you anything.
Now we have that extra money to actually put a team together.
Would have loved A-Rod back but that’s life. This isn’t Michael Jordan leaving the Bulls in his prime.
Think out of the box.
How about Tejada at 3b?
You think he would not have an RBI during a playoff series?
Jennifer, you’re right A-rod did have a contract. However, in that contract it was written that he could opt out. He’s not doing anything wrong, it’s his right to opt out and become a free agent. I can’t stand the guy right now, but it is his right and was written in the contract.
Mike,
Think out of the box.
How about Tejada at 3b?
You think he would not have an RBI during a playoff series?
I was thinking the same thing. But with the new young pitching Baltimore has they can be effective. Tejada is a good choice but he want’s to stay as a shortstop.
Yanks need right handed hitting badly…...tejada would be nice and if they can trade Melky along with others for M Cabrera and then sign either Rowand or T Hunter they Yanks will be ok. (Rowand/Hunter and one of the Miggies (Cabrera or Tejada would be nice
Damon
Jeter
Abreu
Cabrera/Tejada
Posada
Matsui
Rowand/Hunter
Cano
Minky
Tejada has stated he doesnt want to move to 3rd.
i still say Garret Atkins is the best option.
but i wonder what type of relationship Girardi had with Cabrera when he left the Marlins… like, does JG think he might be able to whip him into shape, or convince him a move to 1B would be the best move for his career?
if you do move for Miggy, you can transition him to 1st, and think about moving Cano to 3rd, and plug in a defensive minded 2B (or just leave ano at 2B, and find more of a defensive 3b).
it all depends on the prices on the trade market… but i think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with the natural talent of Cabrera, and if Girardi is confident he can work with him, thats the move to make.
Ask Tejada if he’d move to 3b to play for the Yankees.
I think his answer would change instantly.
This whole thing about Alex not understanding why he is being treated differently by the Yanks then Jorge or Mo is a complete joke.
It is all about the 30 million the Yanks get from texas to help subsidise the salary over the next few years. Boras cannot be that dumb not to explain this to his client??
And agreed i dont think any of us would have been nearly has harsh on Alex if he opted out (i think we all expected it) BUT to not even talk with your current employers who have paid you kindly, stood up for you in many circumstances before doing the official opt out is just low class.
Do people really have a problem with A-Rod testing free agency? I did when I immediately heard the news, but after I calmed down I think he’s making the right decision for himself. The only issue I have is the timing of his announcement and not listening to any offers from the Yankees before doing it.
Look I hate to move Melky, especially he led the majors with assists. His arm is unbelievable. I think Melky should stay. If not go out and get Hunter, def not Rowand. Also available remember is Andruw.
“What do you think about Aaron Boone as a 3B option next season (as suggested by Ty Klepner on NYTimes.com today)?”
Is this a joke? Sure he was ok last season, but it was just 180 AB and his last two years were way below what should be expected from an everyday 3B. I don’t think he’s any better than Wilson Betemit.
Steve Phillips Fails Again.
At the very end of this clip, Phillips say, “I’ll be SHOCKED if the Yankees don’t select Don Mattingly.”
http://snipurl.com/1swu7
Steve Phillips, the human jinx.
I don’t have an issue with A-Rod being a free agent.
I have an issue with him saying that he wanted to stay in NY. I have an issue with him not even having a face-to-face meeting
I have an issue with Boras making the announcement in game four of the World Series.
I have an issue with ANYONE that tries to be bigger than the game.
I’m not sure Melky will ever hit well enough to be an everyday player for the Yankees. He looks like a 4th outfielder at best to me. I wouldn’t have any problem with moving him.
I’d love to see Miguel Tejeda on the Yankees. Question is, would Baltimore trade within the division?
B
That’s the issue most of us had. If A-Rod had taken the time to sit down with the Yankee brass, listen to their offer and opted out at the deadline instead of game 4 I think the outrage would have been much less. The outrage would have been more divided as weel between Boras/A-Rod and Yankee management for not getting it done, but the way he did it and says he still wants to stay and gives his lame BS excuses just really irk me.
I don’t really have an issue with him saying he wanted to stay in NY. Did you really expect him to say that he hated it and wanted to leave? It would have been a mess.
Melky is what 22??? He may or may not ever hit well enough to be an everyday outfielder for the yankees, but take a look at what bernie williams did in his age 21 and 22 seasons. Melky still has time to improve. If these are still the numbers he’s putting up when he’s 25-26 then yeah that is probably his potential, but I don’t think any of us know that yet. That said, if he can get us something of value in return then I think you have to explore your options.
That’s why the word no comment exist.
Hmm, I think Melky will hit well enough. He slumped badly at the end of the season, and he will probably never hit real well for power, but I think when we see what he does next year we’ll learn a lot more.
And dear g-d do we need his arm.
SJ
From what I read, you do get it.
As I said earlier, meeting with the Yanks and letting them set market value with a public offer was never going to happen as long as Boras was in the picture. Cash has proven that he’s been able to keep many things secret when he wanted to. I believe the Yanks leaked the offer trying to circumvent Boras from setting the agenda. That’s why no face to face happened.
I agree that the WS announcement was a bad move; but the way it was handled is not what so many people on here are incensed about. They were already incensed and bashing before Sunday night.
If Boras had issued a statement on Sunday night during the WS saying A-Rod signed a 10 year/$250M deal and would be returning to the Yanks; how many Yankee fans would be upset that the WS was upstaged?
I don’t think A-Rod is a likeable person but I do think he is a likeable athlete. Too many fans who are glad he is gone don’t seem to understand the difference.
dont forget the Wright/Britton trade last offseason. if the price is right for both teams, they’ll make a move.
“Did you really expect him to say that he hated it and wanted to leave? It would have been a mess.”
No, I would have expected him not to expound upon how much he loved it and felt like he fit it and how it felt like “home” if he wasn’t even going to LISTEN to the Yanks extension offer.
If he felt like he was going to opt out, he could easily have just kept giving the “I don’t want to think about that until after the season, we’re trying to win ballgames as a team right now” answer. He didn’t have to tell those anecdotes about how he had a party and everyone came, or about how he loved the team having fun with him.
Bob55- As long as Peter Angelos is around and running the show, anything is possible. There would be more backlash from Orioles fans, just because Angelos and the rest of the front office wouldn’t be showing a commitment to winning if they are willing to trade within the division. It’s like giving up and telling the fanbase to be patient for several years while we rebuild.
Lets get to the really important question of the day
Who now will be repsonsible for Jeter’s bat??
I mean it’s also no commitment to winning when you trade away the face of your franchise. I meant to type that as well.
Thanks Dr. Ac for the clips! I’m excited to see the new and improved Joe work with a full deck instead of that mess he was dealt in Fla. The question now remains, will they allow him to make decisions, or will the $teinbrothers and Randy Levine interfere.
“letting them set market value with a public offer was never going to happen as long as Boras was in the picture”
Um…if Alex was serious about signing an extension with the Yanks, then why would he care about them “setting market value”. There wouldn’t have been any other teams in the mix. Boras had been seeding his ideas of ARod’s value in the press for a month or more. Sorry, this just doesn’t hold water. Opting out this early, without even listening to an offer, means just one thing: Alex was never going to sign an extension with the Yanks. Whether it’s because getting more money is more important than relationships and winning, or because he just doesn’t want to play in NY is immaterial. He would have gotten LOTS of money and had LOTS of chances at that ring staying in NY. That wasn’t enough for him. So, good riddance.
I heard a guy on the radio make the following observation about Torre going to LA (paraphrasing)
Other than the fact he’ll be a laid back guy in a laid back town, his perceived strengths, ie dealing with a hot tempered/demanding owner, intense media scrutiny, amd managing superstar ego players, are in fact negated in LA…
while his perceived weakness, ie managing actual baseball games, will be magnified
Rebecca,
If he’s not going to hit for power and he does not develop patience then he’s just going to be an empty .290 hitter. Juan Pierre without the speed, and Juan Pierre isn’t good. It’s not like Melky is a future All-Star. If a good trade comes up I don’t see any reason not to move him.
The biggest problems with the “superstars” A-Rod and Clemens? They’re more out for themselves than for the team or the franchise. The beauty of the Yankees of 1996-2000 was that they played as a team. O’Neill, Rivera, and Bernie took no prisoners, and their mindset pushed the team.
A-Rod and Clemens were never Yankees. Neither was Sheffield. Neither was Randy Johnson. Neither was a whole other list of them. But the ones that counted showed up every game.
A-Rod’s loss boding badly for the future? How many Series have the Yankees won since he came on? Oh, that’s right…none. Charlie Choke.
Good riddance. Maybe he was the bad-luck charm. And good luck to Girardi. I hope he can ride out the front office as well as Torre did.
Getting Miguel Cabrera is a bad idea, methinks. He’s never shown any inclination to stay in shape and his D is bad. The left side of our IF would be really poor defensively, and we’d have to give up a bunch of young talent that we need to keep. I’d rather try to find a 1B and a 3B that each have 20-25 HR potential. It’d balance the lineup a lot better than the mob we currently have at 1B and a big, immobile 3B.
Mike R.,
You think if the media asked A-Rod if he was staying and he said “no comment” every time they wouldn’t blow it up into a huge story that dominated the season? I think his “lies” were what anyone would do in that situation. Especially, after his past PR issues.
“f a good trade comes up I don’t see any reason not to move him.”
Ok, then who do we get for CF? Go with Matsui/Damon/Abreu again? That’s not so good. Give Hunter a 5 year deal? Matthews Jr got five years, why won’t Hunter? That’s a bad idea. Rowand? He’s not as good as last year says, and he’s looking for a long-term deal too. Maybe if everyone’s spooked about Jones’ terrible season and they can get him on a short deal, that’d be ok. I don’t know who else is out there.
Damon rated as a plus fielder in all of the play-by-play range metrics. I have no problem playing him in CF everyday.
B, you’ll have a problem playing Damon in CF when his body breaks down and try to play through it and struggles. Much easier on him playing LF and that is probably where the plus rankings came from.
Arod drinks the Boras kool aid. I can’t agree more with SJ. I just don’t think he really wanted to come back. He is more of a distraction that he is even worth.
ND Yank,
The metrics are position specific. He had plus range in CF in 2007.
Girardi lets go, u r the best pick
Melki should stay, and lets bring Hunter.Also we keep all the outfielders we have,,injuries happen,.Solid pitching plus a Manager that “thinks”..We have a winning team heading for postseason.AND FORGETT ABOUT AROD..Hes past tense and probably jinxed our team these past years.
If A-Rod signs with the Angels, Cashman get put together a sensible deal to get Chone Figgins.