The curious case of Chris Britton
-
-
- May
- 1
-
Here’s a look at the weird Yankees career of Chris Britton:
Called up April 15, 2007: pitched twice, optioned back April 21
Called up May 3, 2007: didn’t pitch, optioned back before Game 2 of a doubleheader
Called up June 1, 2007: pitched once, optioned back June 9
Called up Aug. 28, 2007: pitched eight times before end of season
Called up April 25, 2008: didn’t pitch, optioned back April 28
Called up April 30, 2008: has yet to pitch
He has been on the MLB roster for the Yankees for 51 days and appeared in 11 games. I hope he gets the milage back for forth to Scranton.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 2:26 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Above is the perfect case in point of what I just mentioned in the last thread about disconcerting roster shuffling.
What else is new? In 2007 we saw 21 relievers. In 2006 there were 23, in 2005- 18, in 2004- 16, in 2003-19….Cashman failed his Baseball 101 course many years ago, and never did learn to put together a pen.
What is it with this guy? He’s good enough to call up away from Scranton, but not good enough to take the mound for the Yankees.
It makes no sense!
Is he a really bad clubhouse guy or what? This is something we fans have not understood for a year. Why waste Britton’s time and a roster spot on a guy they never intend to pitch?
My friend and I like to debate about Britton. I think he can be a useful (not great, useful) middle innings guy. My friend thinks he’s nothing more than a mop up guy.
Either way, how bad do you think he’s dying to be traded? He pitches well for Baltimore in 06 (probably thinking he’s proven himself enough on the big league level), gets traded to the Yankees in the off-season, Torre has no idea who the kid is and sends him to Scranton, and the Yankees have jerked him around for a season and a half now?
Britton = Colter Bean II
Yanks unwillingness to give this guy a reasonable shot is just inexplicable. Did he do something personal to the Steinbrenners?
What is your fascination with Chris Britton about, Pete?
Pete honestly… go to bed!
Regardless of what the actual reason is it makes Girardi and Cashman look like they have no clue as to what they are doing.
Indecisive, and not in control. Not good.
I’m beginning also to wonder if Girardi selects his roster for the night by rolling a dice. He seems to have only one goal — makes sure it was NOT the same as any previous roster. He’s benching good hitters and good defenders when they are most needed, in favor of some really mediocre bench players (when better players are already on the roster).
Pete is hardly “fascinated” with Britton. He is simply pointing out the Yankees’ odd use (or nonuse) of one of their players.
The Yankees’ treatment of Britton this season appears to refute the rumor that the only reason the team ignored him last year was because Torre disliked him. Unless Girardi dislikes him too, there has to be something else going on. SJ44’s explanation is the most plausible: the team just doesn’t think he’s anything special.
Britton comes in behind everyone else on the bullpen depth chart for one reason or another. He’s not lefthanded. He doesn’t have Edwar’s changeup or, I presume, Ohlendorf and Albaladejo’s ceiling. He doesn’t have Farnsworth’s salary or .01% chance of reverting to dominant form. He doesn’t have Hawkins’s, um, experience. In short, he’s always the odd man out.
The thing is, the guy really should get a shot. He has a 3.39 ERA in 66.3 IP and is only 25. On most teams he would be getting regular innings because most teams wouldn’t be paying big bucks to both a Farnsworth and a Hawkins to fill those innings.
I’d like to see Britton take over Hawkins’s spot in the pen, but that won’t happen. So we’re stuck without a spot for the guy, which is a shame.
He does get an ML salary bump when he’s on the roster, right?
Hoping he gets something other than better hotel accomodations and catering.
Britton deserves a chance, he never got one with Torre because he wasn’t in “torre’s circle of trust” Let’s face there’s no possible way he can be any worse than Kyle Farnsworth-less…trade him for a bat boy or something
I think the issue is that he pitched very well as a workhorse over the span of an entire season in the AL East. You’d think that means something.
In the end, though, I don’t think giving Chris Britton the ball every day is the answer to the world’s oil problems. We have guys with his makeup, but a higher ceiling, that are above above and below him in the depth chart.
You also could argue that, before Bruney’s weight loss, that we had one too many fat guys in the bullpen.
Pete,
Don’t worry with Kennedy pitching tonight and the over/under is 3 innings. Britton will get plenty of work.
Let me tell you, the way he pitches, those are 11 appearances too many … Last year he was the designated go-to guy to make sure the Yanks lost close games in the 9th or in extra innings.
Every time they need a roster move, I hope to read he has been DFA.
In two years Chris has gotten left/right handed pitchers out at the same clip. He pitches with less of a fastball/great stuff than most of the other guys, but gets the job done. This is all from memory, so I could be wrong…maybe someone out there has a better take on him? At my age, can’t always be right…I do try. 27/08.
Mitch: If memory serves me correct, when Torre DID use Britton he had been sitting the bench for days on end not pitching. Like now, they brought him up for the Cleveland series and never used him, sent to Scranton and then back to New York next day. He once again hasn’t pitched since April 23! Unlike EVERYONE else, they come and get A CHANCE to pitch right away. Britton has good stats generaly when used on steady usage. He’s not UP and down, hes steady…..When with Baltimore he played AGAINST New York, Boston etc on a steady basis and had good stats, WEIGHT AND ALL. Use him once evey blue moon and just like everyone else, he will falter…
Let him pitch!
Let him pitch!
Let him pitch!
I find it funny and appropriate that this thread is largely being ignored, much like Britton.
The Britton thing is BIZARRE. Keep the heat on Pete.
LET HIM PITCH!!!!!!
Jeremy — I’m perplexed … your statement above, “I find it funny and appropriate that this thread is largely being ignored, much like Britton” and it seems to be at odds with your earlier post “The thing is, the guy really should get a shot. He has a 3.39 ERA in 66.3 IP and is only 25. On most teams he would be getting regular innings because most teams wouldn’t be paying big bucks to both a Farnsworth and a Hawkins to fill those innings.”
I, too, would like to see Britton get more mound time. I just don’t understand why the powers-that-be insist on giving-and-giving-and-giving everyone else “chances” to prove their worth and Britton’s treated like a redheaded stepchild.
I think the weight was an issue with Britton. But didn’t he shape up in the off-season a little. We haven’t seen him, so I’m not sure?
Yankee2123 — I’m pretty sure he did lose some weight — and I know, I know, it’s supposed to be healthier to be a Ken-doll or GIJoe — but let’s get real. I think that having something behind the arm is a plus — look at Sabathia….. And to be honest, I like my men manly. LOL