The man who would be king
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Nov 11, 2008 
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The next time we see this sort of photograph, will Hal be welcoming the Sabathia family to New York and handing CC a XXL pinstripe jersey?
Meanwhile the Yankees sent out their latest Winter League report. Remember all that head-scratching when the Yankees took Jeremy Bleich with their sandwich pick? Turns out they probably knew what they were doing. The lefty is 3-1, 2.05 in Hawaii, has whiffed 31 in 30.2 innings and has a 1.08 WHIP.
Then there’s Humberto Sanchez, who has a 15.26 ERA in eight AFL appearances. That trade didn’t work out so well, outside of removing an overpaid lunatic from the roster. But Kevin Whelan still has a pulse. He ranks second in the Arizona Fall League in ERA (0.68) and had 16 strikeouts in 13.1 innings.
Kevin Russo has hit in 18 straight for Peoria. He is 26 of his last 64. I have to admit, I wouldn’t know Kevin Russo if I fell over him. But he seems to be making a move.
Wilson Betemit is 0 for 7 in the Dominican and has struck out three times. He’s in midseason form already!
Betemit going 0-7? Is the world topsy turvy?
Maybe his eye infection is back… you know, the one that took over a month to heal.
i wouldnt be so quick to jump on Humberto. still working his way back from TJ surgery… like Hughes down in the AFL, good to see them just logging innings.
Whelan’s problem has always been his control… if he can keep pounding the K zone, that splitter he throws (or at least used to) can be nasty.
I really wish Hal was the face of the franchise instead of Hank.
He’s a handsome fellow.
“Then there’s Humberto Sanchez, who has a 15.26 ERA in eight AFL appearances. That trade didn’t work out so well”
Give Humberto a break. He’s pitched what? 30 taotal innings since TJ?
that was a no-win trade
tigers got nothing out of sheffield
we got nothing out of the prospects
that was a less glamorous version of proctor-betemit
what’s the age difference between Hank and Hal? i’m guessing a ton. does Hal smoke?
Hal will sell the team. As Pete said in his previous post, you can tell this really isin’t what he wants to do but he is obliged to for now.
I wouldn’t mind if he sold it to Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban, just stay away from Dolan.
Is Betemit’s 0′fer with or without contacts/glasses
Hal is in his late 30s
Hank is in his early 50s
Ahh, The Man Who Would Be King–a good Kipling story turned into a pretty nifty movie starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Though I think, as someone mentioned earlier, that Hal has a little more Henry IV, Pt. 1, in him.
If the Yankees gave CC an XXL jersey, he would have to lose some weight to fit into it. lol
Seriously though, should that deal come to fruition, he could be the heaviest guy to ever wear pinstripes.
Hal needs a visit to Frederick Fekkai’s salon.
SJ,
Heavier than Cecil Fielder? I’ve never compared the two.
“Then there’s Humberto Sanchez, who has a 15.26 ERA in eight AFL appearances. That trade didn’t work out so well.”
Huh??? Not only is it way too early to judge Sanchez, but there’s still the possibility Kevin Whelan could turn out to be something too, no?
Also, any trade that involves getting rid of Sheffield is, by definition, a trade that works out well as far as I’m concerned. Remember in 2007 when Sheff went silent in the 2nd half and we beat out DET for the WC by 6 games? What if they’d had a productive hitter batting in Sheffield’s spot instead?
That trade worked out just fine as far as I’m concerned.
Price Hal is handsome, articulate, studious, and well-spoken.
A shame that Hank is representing the franchise (in the public eye) over Hal.
Is Sanchez just working out the post-Tommy John kinks or is he done? Giambi said he had a great arm before the surgery, what does he need to do?
Austin Jackson so far 2-2 with 2 rbi’s
SoS,
I thought the Angels had some sort of deal as well as giving up Kotchman for a rent a player seemed odd. Still it isn’t beyond Boras to keep them hanging as he fields other offers. Actually I guess that what Tex is paying him for.
Do the Angels even need CC? Their biggest need has always been a bat. If they lose out on Tex for some reason…who knows they may take a peek at Giambi.
CC is 250 and Ceil was 240 back in the day so I’m assuming CC will be the biggest guy to put on pinstripes
E-rod,
I absolutely hate Mark Cuban. He’s such a fanboy, getting into huddles, and yelling at officials.
BUT, it’s an absolute crime that the old-boy network allegedly won’t let Cuban buy the Cubs.
I don’t know the details, but if he’s the highest bidder he should be allowed to buy the club.
I think he’d be a great baseball owner, along the lines of Steinbrenner. I might even cheer for the Cubs. A little. I’d cheer even louder if they were called the Cubans!
are people really saying sanchez is done too?…is every yankee prospect crap just because there a yankee prospect? since you know, we never produce a mlb player…sigh
p.s. ajax 2 for 2 with a double 2 rbis and a walk so far today
I think Cecil, at his heaviest, was sitting around 265.
CC passed 265 in high school.
Think is, despite his size, he’s a real good athlete.
He’s got great hand/eye coordination and moves around the mound well for a big guy.
Reminds me of Rick Reushsel in that regard. He was also a big guy who was a great fielder and hitter.
Some guys that size are just good athletes and their girth isn’t an issue.
CC is 6’7″. He makes up a lot of poundage at that height.
Given the drop-off in Sheffield’s play, and the size of his remaining contract, you could say that trade has worked out. I wonder if Detroit regrets making it?
I can’t believe there was talk of a team (the Brewers) actually being interested in Betemit. Then again, they didn’t watch all of his at-bats this year so I guess that makes me biased and down on his use as a “switch-hitting power hitter off the bench” *barf*.
There is no way CC is 250. He is 275 at least, maybe more.
Mel,
The high bidder didn’t get the Red Sox when they went up for auction.
Same thing will happen to the Cubs.
MLB will never let Cuban in.
The Cubs, like the Red Sox before them, will be sold to the group that Selig wants to own the team.
“I think Cecil, at his heaviest, was sitting around 265″
Sitting on which cheek?
CC’s not 250. No way.
Let’s put it into perspective. Charles Barkley just lost 35 lbs. He said he’s down to 300. I know there’s a difference in height, but CC looks heavier than Barkley.
CC said his whole family’s built like him, no big deal. But if he’s going to pitch for another 7 years plus, he’s going to have to make a conscientous effort to slim down for his own sake. Big and young if fine. Big and old might not work out.
The NY media has been mysteriously quiet for the past week. No trade rumors, no “inside” information, no bashing Girardi/Cashman … not even the usual re-hashed information to fill up space.
I know they have been busy with the success of the Giants and Jets and the surprising early intrigue of the Knicks… but it has been quiet…. too quiet…
“I’m assuming CC will be the biggest guy to put on pinstripes”
Nobody out-fats the Babe:
“Like Oprah, that other American icon, Babe Ruth’s weight fluctuated, in his case between about 198lbs and about 275lbs.”
“I really wish Hal was the face of the franchise instead of Hank.
He’s a handsome fellow.”
Gee I don’t know, Hank has that retro rugged Broderick Crawford cig dangling out of the corner of mouth look.
Thats why CC should come to the Yankees. Everyone knows pinstripes are thinning.
Chris Britton has to be the fattest to put on the pinstripes. Just… look at him.
SJ44,
There’s very few people I really, really hate on. But Selig’s near the top of the list.
He’s incompetent.
He’s spineless. He never takes blame and has zero credibility.
He doesn’t do his job, which is to what’s best for the league.
He brushes all problems under the rug and points to the record receipts for baseball. As if he had anything to do with it!
Rant over. But, this is just the latest in a long string of Commish foibles.
Chief Dan Mathews.
http://www.highwaypatroltv.com.....brod56.jpg
Hal looks a little like Tino or am i wrong?
Matt Holliday’s dad said that he wants his son to be a Yankee
Teixeria’s college coach (I think thats who the Daily News quoted, it was one of his college/HS mentors) said that Teixeria wants to wear pinstripes
Get us the players who want to be here, stay away from the guys we have to bribe.
I actually think Hank is fairly attractive.
He has that “drunken sailor” look.
Man some of you are talking like the C’s in C.C.’s name is for CLUMPS. He is just big boned. Give the guy a break. He likes his jersey loose.
Bronx Jeers,
The Halos are losing Garland. Who knows which Santana they will get. Weaver. Well wouldnt trust anyone thats related to Jeff. Sanders is above avg. Escobar was out all year. Lackey is all they really have. I can see them shooting for that second Ace.
7 UP, both guys have Boras as their agent. You are kidding yourself if you think Teixeira will sign with the Yankees because he “wants to be here”. He’ll sign if they give him the highest contract offer. The same goes for Holliday when he’s a free agent in 2009.
Nov 14th is just the start. We still have to go through all the BS and rumors and refreshing ESPN/SI/MLBTR etc. multiple times a day.
It’s going to be as brutal as this past as month with all the rumors and smokescreens, except the amount of them will be multiplied by 10. Instead of one “CC wants to go West” article, we’ll get 10 of them.
But it will be fun.
I’m not sure if the Yankees would sign both Teixeira this year and Holliday next. If it’s one or the other. I would MUCH rather hold out for Holliday.
i remember hearing that CC is 6’7” 290 lb, thats a big man lol
The window is closing for Tex resigning with the halos. Angels management has said that they will pull their offer from the table if Tex doesn’t sign with them soon or if Boras starts using them in talks with other teams. For some reason I can’t see Boras avoiding his typical playing teams off of each other mentality. This should be interesting should the Angels get fed up with Boras and look elsewhere for a bat.
“Chris Britton has to be the fattest to put on the pinstripes. Just… look at him.”
Thats the problem. We have never gotten a real good shot of him. The second he gets off the bus. There is another bus that says sike on it hauling him back to Scranton.
Patrick, I think he meant guys who clearly want to be here if we’re the highest bidder instead of the guys who we have to severely overpay to keep them from going West and they really don’t want to come here.
Mel,
Careful what you wish for. George W. Bush wants Selig’s job. I’ll take Selig.
Patrick,
Naiviate always rings true for some during free agency.
Everybody “wants” to play for the Yankees when it comes to getting a big payday. Or, when it comes to driving up offers.
You know what? There is nothing wrong with that.
Some fans have a hard time seperating the business side from the playing side.
Most players, and all of their agents, don’t have that problem.
In 99% of the cases, whomever offers the most money gets the free agent. There are some (like Greg Maddox in the early 90′s) that don’t subscribe to that rule of thumb.
However, that list is very small and rarely contains Scott Boras clients.
If Sidney Ponson wants to be a Yankee and CC Sabathia doesn’t, who do you want on the team?
Frankly, I could care less who “wants” to be a Yankee.
I’m more interested in who WILL be Yankees. That’s all that matters to me.
This is the best time of year
Baseball free agency (in a year in which we are expected to be very effective)
2nd half of the NFL season with big games every week
Start of the NBA
Hollidays around the corner
How important were AFL stats in the instance of Eric Duncan?
Hal Steinbrenner, usually more reserved than his blustery brother Hank, has at least one thing in common with his spendthrift sibling: Winning, not payroll, is his highest priority.
“We’re going to do what we do every year, and that’s try to field a championship team,” Hal said Tuesday at a Manhattan press conference. “If that means spending money, it obviously means spending money.”
Steinbrenner also said that his team’s willingness to spend will not be limited to pitching. The organization will hold meetings on Thursday to finalize plans and decide who they will pursue.
“We’re addressing everything,” he said. “We’re going to be ready for Friday.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....eady_.html
mel
“Hal needs a visit to Frederick Fekkai’s salon.”
Trim only. We’vealready seen their work with frosted tips.
I would reserve judgement on Sanchez until the end of ’09. He had a major procedure done and it usually takes one-and-a-half years to fully recover. Regardless, the Yankees need to improve their scouting because it is average at best.
Hal needs a visit to Frederick Fekkai’s salon.
“Trim only. We’ve already seen their work with frosted tips”
LMAO.
Imagine George, Hank and Hal around the dinner table. Hank learns to yell and say bold, outrageous things just to get his father’s attention. Hal learns to sit back and listen because it’s too hard to talk over the other two.
I’ll go with Hal as Owner in Chief for now; it’s change we can believe in
As for Selig, calling him spineless is an insult to invertebrates. In a lot of ways the game has degraded on his watch despite increases in attendance, and monstrous jumps in merchandising and tv/cable revenue. His reign over The Steroids Era and the ugliness of the Mitchell Report will ultimately be his legacy. But what do you expect from a former used car salesman?
ajax 3 for 3…11 for his last 33 i believe
Hal looks a little like a cross between Michael J. Fox and Greg Kinnear.
The alternative to Humberto Sanchez and the others in that deal was to not pick up Sheff’s option, and he walks. Frankly, I was surprised they got anything for him when the Tigers had the Yanks in a corner, let alone Sanchez, who was a highly thought of prospect. And, I believe the Yanks knew he would likely need TJ surgery, so the this route to effectiveness was expected by the Yanks.
“I’m more interested in who WILL be Yankees. That’s all that matters to me.”
Agreed. Even if the Yankees sign a player who didn’t “always want to be a Yankee,” the player must have wanted it enough to sign a deal!
I’m sure a guy like Matsui would rather be making $13 million a year while playing in his home town in Japan in front of Japanese fans. The fact is, he can’t make that kind of money over there so he came here. That didn’t stop him from playing his heart out trying to win.
I hope the Yanks come out like gangbusters next week and try to get some of these guys signed by mid December. From what I hear CC wants to avoid all the posturing and sign early and hopefully the Yanks can accommodate.
If Fall League stats meant anything, Ian Kennedy would be our #1 starter.
“As for Selig, calling him spineless is an insult to invertebrates”
Haha, well said and I couldn’t agree more. I thought he should have been fired for misconduct/conflict of interest for what he did down the stretch this year making the Astros play those 3 “home games” at Miller Park to help his Brewers, which he is still invested in, hang onto the WC when the Astros were right on their tail. Srsly, how can he get away with doing stuff like that? It’s blatant cheating.
Not that that specifically matters all that much in the grand scheme of things but anything to get rid of that dirtbag. How much longer is he signed to have his job again? I’m no GW Bush fan but I would even rather see him take over, at least he wouldnt be a commie who would make the rich teams share with the poor ones.
Can we add Pavano to that list of players who would have preferred to be elsewhere?
humberto is there to get some innings… who cares what his stats are.
Matsui wants to be a Yankee!
But Matsui is not an Ace.
“Can we add Pavano to that list of players who would have preferred to be elsewhere?”
No I dont think we can. If I remember right we can add him to the ‘left money on the table to play where he wanted’ list though.
Francessa still trying to put Joba in the bullpen.
someone should put him out of his misery. (figuratively speaking)
I thought Pavano was on the ‘glad to accept more to play for the Yankees’ list.
Yeah, I am almost certain I remember the Yankees being the highest bidder for Pavano. He’s from Connecticut but no hometown discount for Glass Carl.
“I thought Pavano was on the ‘glad to accept more to play for the Yankees’ list.”
No. More like “Ill go where my mother wants me to and later go on the dl list”.
I think Pavano was on the ‘offered more money by Boston and the Reds but wanted to pitch for his “hometown” Yankees’ List. I could be wrong about that though.
BBB: if not mistaken, the Tigers offered a bit more. Not much.
BBB,
Thanks for clarifying the minny trade.
Tried to respond. But it didnt go through. Im a little leary about Swisher. He has bombed in Chicago and he has a power outage. Unless he comes with a supply of B-12. Im not sure that he would help us much.
Darn work getting in the way. Did I just hear Francessa say a non-Yankee source very familiar with CC told him CC thinks he’ll be fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving?
I believe it was Seattle and Boston that offered more. He if im not mistaken is a Sox fan and his mother was a Yankee fan. So he listened to mommy and signed here. Damn you mom!!
1 post ago, a lecture to his readers on patience and common sense.
Now, a post on 30 innings of a winter league meaning the Yankees knew what they were doing.
Pot, meet kettle.
It’s amazing how much the boys look like their Dad.
And I agree with the poster who said that CC will need a Jersey quite a bit south of XXL. We’re talking at least 4XL.
“Did I just hear Francessa say a non-Yankee source very familiar with CC told him CC thinks he’ll be fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving?”
Might be better waiting after thanksgiving. Might need to be refitted again. Hell. Whatever works. Getter done!!
A few things:
1) I’ve seen Humberto Sanchez throw, and I wouldn’t give up on him. His AFL stats are a combination of a few good outings and a few terrible ones. It’s a small sample size, in any case. You don’t give up on a 25 year-old reliever who throws 95. But you do consider trading him.
2) If Matt Holliday and/or his dad wants for him to be on the Yankees some day, 2010 would be very nice. He’d look good in RF, and would be a better sign than Nady, who goes FA after 2009. Better sign him as a free agent than trade away the farm for him.
3) Jeremy Bleich will prove to have been a excellent signing. He’s no David Price, but he could be a Ted Lilly. Same kind of stuff. And he’s healthy, and he’s showing +command in Hawaii. The way he’s looked lately he could be with the Yankees by late next year.
4) If the Yanks sign Tex, great. But if they don’t, and do something else instead, like Dunn or Atkins or Burrell, that’d be fine, too. 7-10 year contracts can really tie up a team’s options. Is it a good thing that the Yanks will have A-Rod for another NINE years?
“Might be better waiting after thanksgiving. Might need to be refitted again. Hell. Whatever works. Getter done!!”
good thinking, SoS
Whatever list Pavano was on, we should have checked it twice.
“Francessa still trying to put Joba in the bullpen.
someone should put him out of his misery. (figuratively speaking)”
Fat Mike has to be the least knowledgeable Yankee fan on the planet. Here are some more of his brilliant nuggets: Bronson Arroyo should be in our rotation, we should trade Hughes and Cano for Nate McClouth and Joba is best suited as a 7th/8th inning guy. Thank God this guy doesn’t run the Yankees.
Isn’t it funny how we all have different recollections of the circumstances leading up to Carl signing with the Yanks? Meanwhile I don’t know about you guys but I remember Tino’s contract negotiations like they were yesterday. I guess it’s true what they say about blocking out painful memories!
There will be no jersey for CC. Somebody is going to have to give up their pinstriped bedsheets to make him a uniform after Thanksgiving!
Al,
Doesn’t Francessa think that we still have “Jorge” Tabata?
“He if im not mistaken is a Sox fan”
That. Explains. Everything. lol
a non yankee source very familiar with CC … Sounds totally reliable. Any one on this blog can be a non yankee source familiar with CC but i guess ill take good news where i can get it. CC did say he wants to get a deal done sooner rather than later so this info goes along with that logic. I hope he means it when he says he wont drag this process out – we have alot to do this winter and CC is really the first and most important step to getting back to looking like the best team in the division. Hopefully, resigning marte is also on the agenda. The yanks would be best served to do that sooner rather than later as well. I wish they could have just exercised the option but i guess marte is worth two yrs. Going after fuentes would also be a good idea along with targeting sheets, burnett and Tex. Might as well target the best and see who wants it. Show some love Brian Show some love.
If CC is fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving does that mean they’re going to use his jersey as a balloon for the Macy’s parade?
Those pro jerseys dont go by XL and such. I bet CC’s a 54.
David Ortiz is about a month away from swinging a bat. I thought that meant he was recovering from surgery, but I guess he just rested the wrist. Didn’t he try that during the season?
Anyway, he’s hosting a golf tourney in the DR. A-rod and Mo have rsvp’ed but Mo won’t be swinging, as he’s recovering from surgery.
lol. I love this blog. Who needs to work and make money when you could just bust a gut reading some of this. Put me on the “will make less money so i can be on this blog”list.
I dunno if sanchez will ever be good but we have not done well with pitching trades or signings and outside of hughes, joba and wang – we have not done so hot with drafting pitchers either. Scouting still could use some improvement especially when it comes to pitching – outside of a few fluke players like small and chacon, we have never really gotten a pitcher who turned out to be far better than what we signed them as.
“a non yankee source very familiar with CC”
Bobcat is that you?
For about the 9,999th time, Betemit has got to go.
Major League Baseball is not void of good utility players.
Cashman should make him a throw in piece of any deal he makes. Enough of Betemit already.
Francessa is just setting himself up for disappointment. He thinks there is no shot that CC doesn’t come here and that its impossible for him to walk away from money.
I would hope the fans will be more level headed and realistic than him. It’s not a given we get him at all.
dave,
Very fair point about the pitching. But, is it the scouting of the pitchers, the coaching once they get to NY, or the pressure of being a Yankee? Kevin Brown, Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Randy Johnson and others never did pitch here the way they did in other places. Clemens as well, Cy Young notwithstanding. Some were at the end of their prime, some were never good again after they left, like Weaver and Vazquez. Did NY ruin them, or were they just never as good as they were made out to be?
“Al,
Doesn’t Francessa think that we still have “Jorge†Tabata?”
Yes, he does he actually has no idea how we got Nady/Marte
also he thinks that Carlos Beltran is a top 5 MLB player Mike just lives in his own very special world.
Jeff,
I agree. CC’s not a given at all.
I think there will be at least 2 WC teams that will offer Santana type $$.
So he will be able to have his cake and eat it, too.
Is Hal still single?
Mark. Dont forget the Gambler and the toad.
So Favres nephew broke a high school td record in Mississippi. Can we see a Favre behing center in the nfl for almost a half a century?
if anybody interested yankee hot stove is airing on thursday at 6.30pm
Which one of these pitchers are the least riskiest(given their injuries)and greatest reward to go after?
1.Burnett
2.Sheets
3.Beddard
4.Penny
“if anybody interested yankee hot stove is airing on thursday at 6.30pm”
Actually I was just wondering when it started thanks for the info.
The thing that is slightly concerning is our attempt to get CC is the sudden serious interest from the Angels.
Reading the articles in the LA-area papers this past week or so, it is apparent that they want Teixeria but do not want to be involved in the dog and pony show with Boras stretching it out until January. They want to secure one of the big fishes early then move on and fill other needs. They do not want to put their eggs in one basket with Teixeria. They have a need for CC and want him, not as badly as Tex, but they clearly feel he is easier to get considering he himself said he wants to get a deal done soon and wants go go West.
They have the same strategy we do… wanting to secure one of the top FAs. We need CC more, they need Teix more but both teams would be happy to get either.
“Which one of these pitchers are the least riskiest(given their injuries)and greatest reward to go after?
1.Burnett
2.Sheets
3.Beddard
4.Penny”
I think the most talented pitcher when healthy is Sheets however I prefer Burnett with his AL East pedigree.
–If CC is fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving does that mean they’re going to use his jersey as a balloon for the Macy’s parade?
Nick, that was bad! LOL!
Burnett will probably be the least risky of that entire bunch because he is AL-tested.
Far less injury prone than Sheets. Not a headcase like Perez, and Penny may be the most overrated pitcher in baseball the last 10 years.
I’d take Lowe over all of them though.
“They have the same strategy we do… wanting to secure one of the top FAs. We need CC more, they need Teix more but both teams would be happy to get either.”
What’s working in our favor is that we can outbid the Angels for both of these guys (CC & Tex). Whether we do it or not is another story.
To all Yankee fans, if Hal is the face, heart and soul of the Yankees going forward, Yankees will be an outstanding organization that will be very competitive all the time. I read from many well respected sources around MLB that Hal is very smart, very hard working, very well respected, very humble, very patient, very sincere, very low key and very well liked. Yet, like his father, he has the desire to win. He will work well with Cashman for many years to come.
They might not make all the right decisions. However, the key is to make more right and wrong decisions and also make more right key decisions than wrong key decisions.
For Yankees to be competitive for the long term, farm system must be the key. This include scouting, drafting, international signing, player development and utilizing money on the right areas.
Cashman has the right frame of mind. Let’s hope he can carry out this plan with the support of Hal for many years to come.
R+,
Thats what iv been saying for a week now. The Angels and Arte will probably over pay for C.C. If they end up empty handed with Tex. So again, who do we need more? Assuming we can only land one of them.
Yankees#1 – Amen.
S.o.S.27,
Thanks, but there were far too many to list, I just wanted to give a small sample.
The Yanks have not really had a true stikeout pitcher as a starter since Ron Guidry. Righetti was looking like he had a chance, then they moved him to closer. They traded Rijo, Brien Taylor got hurt, Al Leiter had his injuries, and so on. I think that is a little bit involved with the disappointment some have with Phil Hughes, even when he gets it together, he may not dominate like Lincecum. It is also why Joba holds so much of the hope of the fans.
Heyman is reporting that the White Sox are entertaining offers for Jenks. That’s a head scratcher. The Mets might want to dip into that fountain. Hoffman is also done with the Padres, but Jenks is younger. The WS are crazy to part with Jenks as I don’t think they have anyone else waiting to replace him.
Jenks on the market? That Kenny Williams is one odd duck.
Makes perfect sense for the Mets though. The guy from MLBTR seems to believe Hoffman will land in Detroit which I can see since they apparently have money problems so couldnt afford K-Rod. Will be interesting to see where that leaves K-Rod since there arent really any other big spending teams in need of a closer.
Anyway, hopefully Williams will still be taking his crazy pills when Cashman calls him up and says give me Swisher for someone besides Damon.
SoS,
1. Burnett (med. risk/highest upside of the bunch)
2. Sheets (high risk/high reward)
3. Penny (med. risk/medium reward)
4. Bedard (high risk/who knows? the guy’s a mess now)
==================================================
This is silly, but I had to share:
November 11, 2008
BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist
No matter the denials or (more recently) the simple ”no comment” lines, the Madonna-Alex Rodriguez romance apparently is the real deal.
Sources close to the music superstar and the New York Yankees slugger claim Madonna is truly smitten by A-Rod, allegedly telling a close pal Rodriguez ”has the heart of a poet trapped inside an insanely gorgeous body.”
» Click to enlarge image
Fans may be taunting rival Alex Rodriguez with pictures of Madonna again next season, as they did in July.
(Canadian Press/AP)
Rodriguez himself is said to be something of a romantic — penning not Madonna poems, but sweet, personal and rambling expressions of his feelings.
One person who claims to have seen them calls the notes ”sort of like old-fashioned love notes.”
=========================================
Challenge: What’s your best A-rod love note?
The only way CC signs by Thanksgiving is if the West Coast teams give him a very nice contract (150 mil+) and he accepts it immediately knowing the offer probably won’t be on the table that long because they are interested in other guys (Tex, Manny) and hes dead set on the West Coast.
He is going to give LAD/LAA/SF every chance possible to match our offer or atleast get closer to it. We are last resort for him… he knows we will wait on him. Why would he rush into a deal with us when clearly we are not his 1st choice?
If he waits around long enough, Teix might go to Baltimore or someplace and the Angels get very aggressive for him. The Giants might give in to the fan pressure and jump in the CC bidding eventually. The Dodgers might miss out on Manny and allot that money towards CC.
Jal won’t be the owner for long
The only West coast team that will come close to our offer are the Angels and thats if they miss out on Tex. Obviously the ideal situation is Tex to Angels, Manny to Dodgers and CC to the Bronx. Its not even close we NEED CC the Angels would get him as a luxury.
“7 UP, both guys have Boras as their agent. You are kidding yourself if you think Teixeira will sign with the Yankees because he “wants to be hereâ€. He’ll sign if they give him the highest contract offer. The same goes for Holliday when he’s a free agent in 2009.”
You never know-Carlos Beltran, was offered to the Yankees for 19 million less than he was about to get from the Mets, and he is a Boras client!!
A-Rod is one strange dude.
The guy can get any women in the world he wants, any model, celebrity, playboy bunny, actress, singer, or any girl off the street.
And he chooses Madonna at age 50. Madonna in her prime maybe, but at age 50?
Hey, if it helps him put up MVP numbers next year, then he can do whatever he wants.
Dear Madonna,
Tonight I want to opt-out. And in. And out. Etc.
Love,
Arod
Beltran,,,,A very costly mistake….
if the yanks dont land tex who are the yanks gonna fill in first base maybe a shea hillenbrand or maybe even millarr i like millar even though he was a sox.
Nick,
Very, uh, creative.
(sign manny),
One guy did a prediction thing and he said Millar to the Sox. I’ll try to find the link, it was pretty interesting.
A-Rod,
Before you go on tour to South America with Madonna, stop in San Francisco and give CC a nice chat.
Awww Lincecum is so cute, he is like a little boy
he was just on sportscenter
“If CC is fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving does that mean they’re going to use his jersey as a balloon for the Macy’s parade?”
That was extremely racist, Nick. I demand an apology.
“Challenge: What’s your best A-rod love note?”
I’m not touching this one with a ten foot pole, but I bet The Dugout will have a ball with it.
LMAO at Nick’s submission, though.
William Buckner
November 11th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
There is no way CC is 250. He is 275 at least, maybe more.
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yahoo mlb has sabathia at 290 lbs
“Tonight I want to opt-out. And in. And out. Etc.”
Wash your mouth Nick. There are kids who read this blog.
Want to steer CC away from the Angels?
Simple. Just add $30 million to their bid. So if they go $130, we go $160. They go $150, we go $180.
And if he walks away from that kind of money, then it probably wouldn’t have worked out in NY anyway.
Simple as pie.
Challenge: What’s your best A-rod love note?
————————————————
My dearest Madonna:
There are things in life that are inevitable; I am powerless to control them. The Sun will rise and set, the tide will come in and go out, the seasons will change, the birds will fly South for the winter and return in the spring, and the caterpillar will transform itself into a beautiful butterfly. Somehow, I feel reassured by this because many other things in life are so transient – so momentary.
Madonna, from the moment we met, I knew that our friendship would develop into something lasting and precious, just as I am sure that the caterpillar will one day become a beautiful butterfly.
Dearest, I believe that our love is blessed by Kabbalah. It is a union of two spirits destined for everlasting happiness. Thus, you have truly become the lucky star of my life which brings me light in this dark world, and warmth when I need it. You offer me the promise of renewal, the joy of living, the peace of mind that comes from sharing and caring, and that shoulder to lean on in times of stress.
You are my Swallow from Capistrano – my precious butterfly, and I will cherish you and love you forever.
Alex
*****Yes, I had help from the internet
Your lips are red,
My lips are blue.
No matter what Scott says,
I’m still crazy for you…
“yahoo mlb has sabathia at 290 lbs”
BA had an article that said he was 311
“yahoo mlb has sabathia at 290 lbs”
Is that before or after the extra 30 pounds a camera adds to his wieght?
CC is large for 6’7 he must be around 3 bills. If we manage to get CC and another pitcher which bat would we go after should we miss out on Tex? I’d say Bradley or Dunno but I really dunno.
I doubt Arod’s letters to Madonna were in English. It was probably in code.
Your 50 years old
I’m 34
By the time I was 18
you were already a whore
S.A.,
Im going to give that to my wife on our anniversary. Hope she doesnt ask me about Kabbalah.
I would go have to start it with your hair is blonde as was my tips. Oh forget it. S.A. your the winner. Even if you cheated a little.
I don’t know which is more twisted. The article about ARods love notes or you guys doing your own version of such notes.
I love when she says he has the heart of a poet. That guy’s about as poetic as a toilet seat.
Pete, you seldom fail to make me at least giggle. Wilson Betemit not doing well is really not a surprise, I guess. He had some key hits, but for the most part, hasn’t really been a key part of the Yankees. Hopefully he’ll be replaced with someone a notch above at least. A lot of people will be disappointed that H. Sanchez isn’t doing quite that well.
Hal looks so young!!!!! Oh, my.
Just a few more days until some real talk begins. I can’t wait.
After CC, our priority is getting a real 1st baseman who can hit AND field.
Don’t use that position as a 2nd DH or retreads like Betemit, Ensberg, Andy Phillips, Doug M, Sexon, Phelps, Craig Wilson etc.
We’re the Yankees. Get Teixeria and CC. If the Angels can afford it, why can’t we? What are we saving the money for?
WooHoo!
Your hair is blonde as my tips are frost. As we embrace in the cold friggid night. Your body warms my tips but not my purple lips.
“Which one of these pitchers are the least riskiest(given their injuries)and greatest reward to go after?
1.Burnett
2.Sheets
3.Beddard
4.Penny”
Taken from a focused NYY perspective, AJ provides the best option. Not only does he have the ALE bona fides, which seem to elude many other pitchers that come to the Bronx, the Yanks also get the benefit of “addition by subtraction” by signing him.
He beat us 3 times and the RS twice in 08. Putting those results all in the 09 win column would be very helpful, as Toronto is going to be a force in the Division next year. If we can give him more run support than he got this year, who knows (although that could be said for all of our SPs)…
CC AND Tex would be great but chances are Moreno screws us out of one of these guys.
““If CC is fitted for pinstripes before Thanksgiving does that mean they’re going to use his jersey as a balloon for the Macy’s parade?â€
That was extremely racist, Nick. I demand an apology.”
What race was offended? Those persecuted Macyans?
what about nick johnson for fb?
he is great defensively,400 obp every year,won’t cost anything major in money or prospects,30 yrs old,853 career ops.
i know injuries are a concern but i think they should try for him.he is awesome defensively.
Nick, you don’t want to anger the Macycans. Look at the crazy look in their eyes….they’re out for revenge!
http://z.about.com/d/manhattan.....tohead.jpg
I must have missed a beat somewhere; what love notes?
I don’t care that Madonna is 50 – but she is just weird and I don’t think that it’s going to end well for Alex. And I ONLY care about that insofar as the Yankees are concerned.
Dump Betemit. Sign Switch hitter Cesar Izturis.
Matsui and Phil Hughes to Giants for Matt Cain.
Sean Casey for backup at 1st base, if Teixeira signs elsewhere. Trade Jose Veras and prospect for Ryan Garko.
Adam Dunn for DH.
Sign Sabathia and Burnett, to go along with Cain, Wang, and Joba. Sign Pettitte if Mussina retires.
Sign Baldelli to incentive laden contract.
Lineup:
Damon LF
Jeter SS
A-Rod 3B
Dunn DH
Nady RF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Garko 1B
Baldelli/Gardner CF
Just throwing out some contrarian possibilities!!
I heard on ESPN radio that Boras wants to limit the teams for Teixiera to no more than 5. Three teams would probably be the Yanks, Angels and Red Sox. Not sure who the other 2 might be.
**what about nick johnson for fb?**
I don’t mind him being a bench player for now. he’s at best a bench player until proven he’s 100% healthy.
Doreen,
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/200.....ent-587256
I hope the love connection’s a big rumor.
Yankee Trader, good idea on the Cain thinking. However, if you are offering Matsui, Hughes for Cain, SF will also ask for Austin Jackson and Andrew Brackman on top of that if not more. Matsui is a liability. Hughes, Jackson and Brackman are all upside players with out much track record. Cain would cost Yankees a great deal to get.
“What race was offended? Those persecuted Macyans?”
It was a joke, someone accused Nick of being racist yesterday.
Fran,
What does that mean? Is is like the black American Express card for exclusive members?
Yankees
Angels
Red Sox
Orioles
Mystery Team
“what about nick johnson for fb?”
Minor league contract-possible bench player. Sean Casey is a FA, good defense, .300 hitter, as a bench player.
OK, didn’t see it.
“I heard on ESPN radio that Boras wants to limit the teams for Teixiera to no more than 5.”
Thats probably because theres is only 5 teams that can offord him. Good call Boras.
Mel,
Kind of like that. The only other time Boras did that was for Alex. Apparently he only wants “real players” who are serious and so the limit of 5.
update
Hal kinda reminds me of Andy from The Office :/
Thanks, mel, but I really wish I didn’t have to know this, you know????
HANK >>>>>>>>>>>>> HAL
HANK HAS BETTER SWAGGER THAN HAL
“And he chooses Madonna at age 50. Madonna in her prime maybe, but at age 50?”
Maybe he has had fantasies about her since he was a child and figures now that he is at a point where he can get her its now or never. 50 is the new 30?
Forget about Cain or any young pitcher you have to trade for. They are just going to be too damn expensive. Cashman understands this which is why we are STOCKED with young arms and lacking positions players which are easier to get. Lets hope someone in our system is the next Cain or Lincecum. We have already produced Wang and Joba in the past few years. Two reliable and dominant starters. Give us one more and we have 3 homegrown dominant starters to go with two veteran free agents. Bottom line is we are stocked with pitchers and I don’t see a need to bring in another young one.
Russell NY
November 12th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Forget about Cain or any young pitcher you have to trade for. They are just going to be too damn expensive. Cashman understands this which is why we are STOCKED with young arms and lacking positions players which are easier to get. Lets hope someone in our system is the next Cain or Lincecum. We have already produced Wang and Joba in the past few years. Two reliable and dominant starters. Give us one more and we have 3 homegrown dominant starters to go with two veteran free agents. Bottom line is we are stocked with pitchers and I don’t see a need to bring in another young one.
————————————————————
i agree but what do we do to get a left fielder,centerfielder,right fielder,first baseman,catcher that we need because damon,matsui,nady will be gone after 09 and posada is getting very old?
“i agree but what do we do to get a left fielder,centerfielder,right fielder,first baseman,catcher that we need because damon,matsui,nady will be gone after 09 and posada is getting very old?”
Well I wasn’t saying we shouldn’t trade our young pitchers, I was saying we shouldn’t pay a high price to obtain a young pitcher from another organization. I definitely would trade any of our young arms for equal or > value.
I know all 3 of our outfielders are free agents but I think Nady will be back. Lets hope Gardner or Austin Jackson will be ready in 2010. Then we go out and get a big slugger. Who knows what the A’s will do with Holliday. As for 1B I would try to trade for Nick Johnson. Posada is a problem but I’m not ready to denounce him as catcher until he shows he can’t handle it this year.
for the love of God, can the Yankees find a better bench player than Betemit?
The guy makes less contact than Pedro Cerrano on curveballs.