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Meet your new catcher (for 2014)

January
26

Several people sent me this link. It seems the Yankees signed a 16-year-old catcher from Australia.

Kyle Perkins will stay in school in Canberra until 2010 then start playing in the minors.

UPDATE, 3:29 p.m.: Now comes word that the Yankees have signed a second prospect from Australia.

Any readers from Australia? What do you know about these guys?

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 2:02 pm by Peter Abraham.
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58 Responses to “Meet your new catcher (for 2014)”

  1. Corey

    Any stats on this kid? Or estimate of contract amount?

  2. li

    Except for the big hands, he looks like a very young 16 year old. Not sure how I feel about signing someone (seemingly) so young. Look at Sori’s saga with the Japanese.

  3. Joe (from europe)

    Who is this guy and if he’s that good (yankees catcher 2014) why doesn’t he wait to sign for more.

  4. ElMaestro

    Your catcher in 2014 will be Jesus Montero.

  5. Whoever

    Let’s see who’ll it be when it happens might be Austin Romine or Jesus Montero.

  6. murphydog

    Considering the hormone levels in the average 16 year old boy, I’m guessing that the idea is to use the kid to give direct blood transfusions to players instead of shooting up Steroids or HGH.

  7. Mike S.

    Montero, because of his size, will most likely be moved to 1B or DH by then.

  8. Bill Porter

    Stats? From Australian Youth Ball? Which would tell us what beyond the fact that Australians can now add, subtract, multiply and divide? The fact we signed him to something means someone thinks he has a chance to be a player; I doubt were going to learn too much beyond that for a while on this one.

  9. Jennifer - Save Phil Hughes!

    http://slidingintohome.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-yankee-stadium-construction-update.html

    New pictures are up!!

    Anyone know if there will be at “bat” at the new stadium? I know at the current stadium it was for ventalation, will they have it because of nostaga.

  10. RosterRooster

    Wow, He looks dominating in that picture. Pure Guts and Staredown ability

    Try and run THAT over Teixiera!

    This kids the real deal!!!

  11. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Save the Three Musketeers!

    Oooh….

  12. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Save the Three Musketeers!

    I’ve got a friend that lives in Australia, maybe he knows a little something about it…

  13. whozat

    “Who is this guy and if he’s that good (yankees catcher 2014) why doesn’t he wait to sign for more.”

    Pete is kidding. He’s apparently some reasonably talented 16 year old aussie. It’s news to them because there aren’t many Aussies in the US pro leagues, and this is the Yankees. The news for us, if there is any, is that they Yanks are casting a wide net in terms of international scouting, which should have been obvious already since they signed some Israeli guy recently too.

  14. NYPD113th

    Uh-oh.

    Here come the Perkins/Melky/Marquez for Santana trade proposals.

  15. Mark Alan

    Well, by 2014, Jorge will have been thrown on the barbie with some shrimp, right?

    How much money did his parents receive?

  16. Mark Alan

    NYPD…

    Well, Perkins/Melky/Marquez for Santana would leave the Future 3 intact, but I suspect the Twinkies will want more. Perhaps IPK/Perkins/Matsui might do it. What do you think?

    (I know, I know… I’m just having fun.)

  17. NYPD113th

    “IPK/Perkins/Matsui might do it. What do you think?”

    Way too much.

    The Twins would have to thrown in Nathan. I mean it is PERKINS were talking about here. ;)

  18. Joe Buck ruins my life with his bad MLB/NFL playoff announcing

    Yes 2014! Wooooooooooooo!

  19. i miss bernie

    2014
    Joba Chamberlain threw his mitt up into the night sky after his 3K 9th gave the Yankees a sweep of the Orlando Ray’s and thier 30th World Series Title.
    In the 8th, Yank’s manager Jorge Posada and 24 game winner Phil Hughes jumped out from the dugout to see Jose Tabata’s 3-run blast sail over the restaurant windows deep in CF. The yank’s 2 out rally in the 8th started when rookie cather Brad Harmon was walked by Ray’s closer Matt DeSalvo. Yank’s 1B David Wright also scored on the play.
    Yankee captain and second baseman Derek Jeter went hitless but nevertheless managed to score 3 times, the first time on a hbp a steal and then scoring on an infield nubber off the bat of the ageless wonder that is Yank’s pinch hitter David Ortiz.

  20. NYPD113th

    “2014
    Joba Chamberlain threw his mitt up into the night sky after his 3K 9th gave the Yankees a sweep of the Orlando Ray’s and thier 30th World Series Title.
    In the 8th, Yank’s manager Jorge Posada and 24 game winner Phil Hughes jumped out from the dugout to see Jose Tabata’s 3-run blast sail over the restaurant windows deep in CF. The yank’s 2 out rally in the 8th started when rookie cather Brad Harmon was walked by Ray’s closer Matt DeSalvo. Yank’s 1B David Wright also scored on the play.
    Yankee captain and second baseman Derek Jeter went hitless but nevertheless managed to score 3 times, the first time on a hbp a steal and then scoring on an infield nubber off the bat of the ageless wonder that is Yank’s pinch hitter David Ortiz.”

    – There’s a better chance the Giants beat the Pats next Sunday. ;)

  21. Ryan

    now i know my knowledge of the metric system is a little limited but does that story about Aron really say the 16 year old is 6′1″ and 185 pounds?

  22. Outback Ollie

    I’ll bet a cool Foster’s Lager that Graeme Lloyd gave Damon Oppenheimer a heads up on this Aussie laddie.

  23. mickey's monkey

    the only comment i would make about this is that these signings are very likely FOR REAL. I mean, they’re not some kind of “goodwill gesture” or PR stunt. i’ve spent a lot of time down in Oz, and baseball is just a minor blip on the sports scene. Surfing, “footy” (soccer), and cricket are what people care about most, and quite a few folks follow the NBA. But baseball HAS been around for a while and people are aware of it. I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s more than mildly aware of Dave Nilsson, Craig Shipley, or Graeme Lloyd. But I’d bet that the Yanks see real potential in these kids. The leagues that they’ve been playing in probably compare only to Babe Ruth league–and that’s probably a stretch–but who knows? Scouts can see things in 14,15 year old kids sometimes that the general public can’t.

  24. whozat

    “Aron really say the 16 year old is 6′1″ and 185 pounds?”

    yep.

    Why? That’s a big kid, but far from shocking.

  25. raymagnetic

    “Why? That’s a big kid, but far from shocking.”

    Whozat, he’s the size of a grown man at 16 years old. When I was 21 I was 6′5 216 and I wasn’t skinny. To be 6′1/185 and 16 is a bit shocking to me, but kids nowadays are getting bigger.

  26. i miss bernie

    2014
    Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez told the crowd at today’s ticker-tape parade that it not just another World Series ring to him. ” I cant even cover my whole hand, Jeter’s what like a hundred of them puppies?” Arod said as Jeter sheepishly smiled behind him.
    But make no mistake about it, Arod is not just another World Series hero. His scintillating .436 average in 4 World Series appearances puts him among the best of all-time. His record 13 homers in the 2010 World Series may stand for all-time. His 3 World Series MVP awards are another record. And thats not to mention his 7 regular season MVP’s or his 822 career homers.
    No, he’s not just your ordinary World Series Hero.

  27. whozat

    “Whozat, he’s the size of a grown man at 16 years old. When I was 21 I was 6′5 216 and I wasn’t skinny. To be 6′1/185 and 16 is a bit shocking to me, but kids nowadays are getting bigger.”

    How big were you when you were 16, if you were 6′5″ at 21?

    I dunno…the kid’s what, a year, maybe two from being done with puberty? He might be near-full-grown already, or he might just eventually be a huge dude.

  28. whozat

    I mean…I wear the same size suit coat and dress shirts I wore when I was 16. My shoulders and chest are the same size as they were then. I probably grew another inch taller and two wide in the waist in the last eleven years, but other than that…I’m not that different dimensions wise.

  29. raymagnetic

    Whozat when i graduated high school at 17 I was 6′4 165lbs. I was skinny not anorexic then, but if I weighed 185lbs I probably would have looked normal for my size I guess.

    I guess you’re right though, he’s not that big. I just looked up Jesus Montero and at 16 he was 6′3 220.

  30. GreenBeret7

    Outback Ollie
    January 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
    I’ll bet a cool Foster’s Lager that Graeme Lloyd gave Damon Oppenheimer a heads up on this Aussie laddie.

    =======================================

    They have some pretty good ballplayers from the Canberra area. I went there and watched quite a few of the games from a couple of the leagues in Australia when I was there last year…including the league that Dave Nilsson owns. There are a couple of leagues in the Brisbane-Sidney-Canberra-Gold Coast areas. I’d guess they’re equivalent the the Mexican Leagues (AA). Pat Kelly is scouting over there and has been for years. He was living in Australia and scouting for the Dodgers and is now scouting coordinator of the Pacific Rim for the Mariners.

  31. whozat

    “I guess you’re right though, he’s not that big. I just looked up Jesus Montero and at 16 he was 6′3 220.”

    Now THAT is a big kid.

    A guy I work with is a big dude, and his eldest kids are girls. The second oldest is maybe 15, over 6 feet tall, and could easily kick my ass. The oldest is also almost 6 feet tall, but less, um…physically imposing.

  32. i miss bernie

    2014
    yanks sign FA santana
    the yankees today annouced the signing of LHP Johan Santana to a 2 year 12 million dollar contract. The Yankees did not say whether they planned to use the 2 time cy young award winner in the bullpen or in the rotation. Santana, at one time almost traded for the Yank’s 3 ty cy young winner Phil Hughes went 10-8 for the Met’s before the trade deadline deal that sent him to the Cubs where he finished with 16 saves for the team that missed the playoff by 1 game last year.

    Santana’s notorious trade from the Twins for 5 players who played a total of 86 major league games was followed by the Mets signing him to a 6 year $125 M contract that they have regretted almost ever since. Santana, slowed by injuries did produce one 16 game-winning season in 2010, but overall he went 72-67 in his Met’s career.

    Santana may join the Yankees crowded bullpen led by 53 save powerhouse Joba Chamberlain, or could join Hughes, Marquez, Horne and Kennedy in the Yanks rotation.

  33. Jennifer - Save Phil Hughes!

    ah I love it!!

  34. pat

    Talk about Fantasy Baseball!!!! :wink:

  35. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Save the Three Musketeers!

    Now that is some fantasy baseball I can sink my hands into!

  36. jay destro

    i bet they both like myspace and hanging out with their friends at the mall.

  37. ramar

    Boy, there sure is alot of wishing and hoping on this board today!

  38. ramar

    My wish/hope would be that my Yanks get another “ring” before those bloodysox hoodlums do

  39. Jennifer - Save Phil Hughes!

    Wait i miss bernie, Did the Rays swtich leagues? Is that how they made it to the WS? They had to join the national league? :lol:

  40. i miss bernie

    commishioner epstein changed the playoff format

  41. Fleas

    What’s amazing to me is how everyone is on the “we don’t want Santana” trail. Wow. I could understand saying that you don’t want to trade any of our young arms, but this is Santana we are talking about. Having him on the Yankee’s would make our rotation awesome. Having him in our rotation without giving up Hughes or Kennedy would make our rotation dominating.

    Are people so caught up in their emotions about the young guys that they are really bashing Santana and doubting his dominance? People please..

    Santana wearing the pinstripes would absolutely be one of the best things for the Yankees. I mean that as far a strong Lefty in the rotation and also for generating additional revenue for the Yankees, especially when Wang puts together 18 wins and Santana puts together over 20..

    Don’t think Santana can put together 20 wins at Yankee Stadium.. *cough* Just look at what Andy Pet can do as a left in NY. Santana would dominate. Do not deny that having Santana on the Yankees would anything other than phenomenal.

    So he slowed down last year, and people question his health. I have said it before, trying to win for a team that is not interested in winning or at the moment contending.. will not push someone to be competitive. Put Johan on the Yankees and that would be a totally different story!

    Again, it’s one thing to say, “Who cares about Johan, I am tired of it already” because the trade news has been overdone. It’s one thing to say “I don’t want Santana, I want to keep the young kids” but it is an entirely different thing to say, “I don’t want Johan, because he is nothing special”. That is just flat out idiotic.

    I hope that Johan is on the Yankees this year.. because all of you that are so against him for who-knows-why reasons will be the same ones kissing his @ss when he has more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the AL to go along with his 20 wins.

    Geez people. Do you want this team to win? Or do you want a young team only? There has to be a balance of both for success!

  42. i miss bernie

    hey, im just playin, i LOVE Santana! I’d prefer the yanks stick with hughes but i LOVE Santana!

  43. george

    i’ll take Santana. but not if i have to lose Hughes.

  44. Jennifer - Save Phil Hughes!

    commishioner epstein wow :wink:

  45. whozat

    “i bet they both like myspace and hanging out with their friends at the mall.”

    Actually, they’re mormon and home-schooled:-)

  46. Mike S.

    Baseball Reference.com lists the 18 year old Montero as being 6′4″ and 225 lbs.

  47. JonMichel

    Jesus Montero will probably our future 1b the kid is still growing and the Yanks think he could being 6′4″!

  48. 18*-0*

    Go PatPats!

  49. eric

    Im a long time reader from Australia.
    Baseball is a minor sport here, where Cricket is dominant.
    We do get sunday and wednesday night baseball on espn plus quite a few FSN games. Which usually means watching the dodgers.
    Im a baseball tragic but most dont mind baseball and quite a few people i know watch the playoffs religiously.
    As far as talent goes, I have no idea about these kids, but there are quite a few ‘live arms’, to use a torreism, around who play cricket.

  50. FYI

    The Times has the best round up of the joint talk Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein held Friday night. I found this part on Bernie Williams and Joe Torre interesting:

    Cashman took a few jabs at Bernie Williams, the popular Yankee whose exit from the team was not on friendly terms. Cashman said that Williams was terrible in 2005, but that he brought Williams back as a farewell in 2006. After Williams had a solid year, he wanted to return for 2007. But Cashman did not sign Williams. Cashman said that Williams’s music career “took away from his play.” Interestingly, Cashman said that Joe Torre, who was then the manager, looked for ways to play Williams in 2006 “ahead of guys who could help us win,” so Cashman did not want that to happen in 2007.
    Cashman got rid of Bernie rather than telling Joe how to manage his squad. That strikes me as the right thing to do as a GM. The manager is supposed to control the action on the field. If he’s doing the wrong thing, either fire the manager or take away the player. (I think you saw the same thing with Miguel Cairo last season.) As Torre goes to the Dodgers, I wonder how much playing Bernie was loyalty to Williams or a desire to play veterans. Los Angeles fans should hope it’s the former.

  51. Rob NY

    @raymagnetic i was 6′2″ 225 at age 16 lol…. now im 6′5″ 270 and 22… i think its the steroids theyre putting in the beef or something lol maybe its in the water

  52. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Save the Three Musketeers!

    Fleas:

    I have no opposition to Santana being on the team.

    I have an opposition to trading away the young talent to get him.

  53. Buddy Biancalana

    Fleas-

    I noticed your post was an edited version from your blog, not sure of the relevance here about Santana bashing. The opinion that Rebecca mentioned has been echoed here for a long time now.

  54. Fleas

    Buddy:

    Well, I am getting ansy I guess. I know the conclusion is going to happen very soon and I am hoping we get him. Yes, I too do not want Phil to be traded, but I won’t lose sleep if he is replaced by Santana.

    Rebecca:

    I assume you mean “the big three” when you say “you talent”. There is a real need to trade in baseball, and it yes it is a gamble. But holding on to all young talent and no making any trades for proven players is about as bad if not worse than trading away all your young talent for proven starts. Balance is key here.

    Let me reiterate, I believe we NEED Santana. We may not need him as bad as we did at the beginning of last year, but we still NEED him pretty bad. Considering innings of the youngsters and a less-than-proven bullpen. It just might take this year of not having Santana for those on this blog to realize that we REALLY did NEED him. Let’s not forget the Tigers, adding Miggy and D-Train gives them very good odds to with the division and if not the Wild Card.

    I’m just saying, I am still hoping Johan will be in our rotation, if not it will still be a fun and exciting season and I won’t count us out, but I won’t be as optimistic without him.

  55. Gator49

    Going to a Yankee game in Toronto in July. Anyone know if the Yanks are in the 1B or 3B dugout?

  56. Fleas

    “you talent” equals “young talent” grmf..

  57. Steve

    “Going to a Yankee game in Toronto in July. Anyone know if the Yanks are in the 1B or 3B dugout?”

    -At Yankee stadium the away team is down the 3rd base line so that’d be my best guess.

  58. UtilityMan

    In Toronto,the away team is on the 1B side.

    Blue Jays dugout is on the 3B side

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