Yankees pay tribute to Henderson
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- January
- 12
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These quotes courtesy of the Yankees:
George Steinbrenner: “There was only one Rickey Henderson in baseball. He was the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. I consider him a great friend with tremendous spirit and a true Yankee.”
Willie Randolph: “Rickey and I have been friends for a long time, and I am ecstatic for him. I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have played with a great number of phenomenal baseball players but pound-for-pound, Rickey Henderson is the best player I’ve ever played beside. No one was able to impact the course of a game in as many ways as Rickey. This is a great day for him, and I can’t wait to hear his acceptance speech.”
Dave Winfield: “His election is well-deserved. He was one of the best players I that ever played with and obviously the best leadoff hitter in baseball. We had a lot of fun pushing each other to play at higher levels. I’m very glad to see he got in.”
Ken Griffey Sr.: “Rickey was one of the most competitive players I’ve ever seen. He was relentless. He could beat you with his legs and his bat, and he could beat you from the leadoff position, which was something people hadn’t seen before. As a person, Rickey was very funny and generous. I hung out and talked with him a lot, and we used to go to dinner. I enjoyed every minute of those years.”
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
“rickey henderson is definitely one of the greatest baseball players to ever put on a uniform. one day, i hope my kids turn out to be as good a person as rickey henderson.” – rickey henderson 1/12/09
Rickey used to play CF for the Yanks, and in those days, before the “roll call” if you sat in the bleachers and yelled, “Rick-ay!!!!!” a few times, he’d turn and waggle the Hawaiian thumb and pinky thing at you. If those mid-80’s Yankee teams only had the wild card or another pitcher…
You forgot one Pete:
Rickey Henderson: Rickey was the best player Rickey ever played with. Rickey was the greatest. I love me some Rickey. But Rickey doesn’t understand how Rickey can be a HOFer when Rickey hasn’t retired yet. Rickey is coming back!
any real quotes from Rickey yet?
Steve Phillips once again demonstrating why he has no job with a team anymore.
“This is a great day for him, and I can’t wait to hear his acceptance speech.”
I hope he has help writing it!
Rickey had 130 SB’s I can’t even think of the player who could do that in the game today.
A friend of mine who works at the MLB offices in midtown once got chewed out by Ricky because nobody gave him an EZ-Pass tag on his rental car when he was in town for some promotion.
He called up and was literally yelling at her “Ricky don’t have no EZ-Pass”.
Every now and then I randomly blurt out “RICKY DONT HAVE NO EZ-PASS!”
Everyone else should try it too.
Just caught the tail end of Jim Rice press conference on MLB Network. I understand Rice has always had a very healthy ego but did he really just say that “if I was playing today, I would be making $27 million.” as if he is comparing his baseball skills to A-Rod?
Gammons is on now presenting the strawman argument that got Rice into the Hall of Fame.
“Rickey Henderson is happy to be here on behalf of Rickey Henderson to induct Rickey Henderson into the Hall of Rickey Henderson. Rickey Henderson was one of the greatest base stealers of all time except for that Rickey Henderson guy, and I, Rickey Henderson, just want to thank Rickey Henderson for being Rickey Henderson every day. When Rickey Henderson grew up Rickey Henderson knew that he was going to be Rickey Henderson, even though Rickey Henderson wanted to be better than Rickey Henderson and Rickey Henderson knew one day Rickey Henderson would eventually be Rickey Henderson because Rickey Henderson is Rickey Henderson. Thank you!”
I don’t blame Rice for saying he would be making $27 million. Players in the past made peanuts compared to today’s player.
“A friend of mine who works at the MLB offices in midtown once got chewed out by Ricky because nobody gave him an EZ-Pass tag on his rental car when he was in town for some promotion.
He called up and was literally yelling at her “Ricky don’t have no EZ-Pass”.
Every now and then I randomly blurt out “RICKY DONT HAVE NO EZ-PASS!”
Everyone else should try it too.”
Hilarious.
The blurting-out part, too!
One of the best Rickey Henderson stories I heard over the weekend was from the A’s trainer who was with him for a while who said that one year Rickey was going to play Winter Ball in Puerto Rico and when he finally signed the deal he told the team owner that he was going to drive his car down there so he needed directions. The owner told him he couldn’t drive his car but that he would arrange all the flights. Rickey told him he didn’t understand that Rickey was driving down and that he really needed directions. Finally they needed to call in the A’s GM to explain to him that you could not drive your car down there.
Ricky Henderson’s induction speech will be the most classic speech in sports history, maybe, just short of Lou Gherig’s. I, for one, will be making the trip to Cooperstown to see it.
How Steve Phillips is respected enough to get air time to give his personal opinion on the hot Stove is beyond me. There is a reason you’re working for ESPN and not an MLB organization, YOU”RE AN IDIOT!
How does everyone feel about the Nationals/Yankee talks? Deal Nady, keep Swisher. Is anybody have any ideas for who we could get in return for either Nady or Swisher worth dealing for from the Nat’s? I’m ignorant to NL rosters, particularly non-contenders.
I liked Rickey when he was a Yankee, but when I write down the list of guys that I consider true Yankees, his name is not on the list. Sorry, George or whoever wrote George’s statement.
Does anybody have any ideas*
Joe Monte
2 reasons why I have a problem with it. First, him using the number $27 million implies he believes he was the best or should have been the highest paid player in the game and secondly, Boston has never and will not anytime soon be paying any player $27 million a year and that’s where he played.
Not Rickey-related, but It is High has an update on Sam I Am:
http://johnsterling.blogspot.c.....since.html
George’s decision to trade Rickey to Oakland was probably one of the few times during his tenure that he traded a bona fide superstar for fungible players who were virtual non-entities with the Yankees.
What did Steve Phillips say?
The Winfield trade was another example.
Sam I Am missing? when i read his entry i said to myself “wow, pete’s letting trolls pinch hit?”…
Trisha,
RICKY DONT HAVE NO EZ-PASS!
Rickey will go in the HOF with an Oakland A’s cap. Not sure, but he may be the only member to bat right and throw left.
Who did Gammons vote for ?????
Rickey Hold Grudges! Rickey will get back at you Kramer! DON’T TOUCH RICKEY!!
Nady to the Reds along with a mid-tier prospect for Harang?
““A friend of mine who works at the MLB offices in midtown once got chewed out by Ricky because nobody gave him an EZ-Pass tag on his rental car when he was in town for some promotion.
He called up and was literally yelling at her “Ricky don’t have no EZ-Pass”.
Every now and then I randomly blurt out “RICKY DONT HAVE NO EZ-PASS!”
Everyone else should try it too.””
Dude, I cracked up and I’m sitting in the *library* in the middle of *class*
You’re getting me into trouble!
1) Rickey… on referring to himself in the third person:
“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”
2) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.
3) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”
4) This one might be my second favorite. This wasn’t too long ago, I think it was the year he ended up playing with the Red Sox. Anyway, he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”
5) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”
6) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.
7) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd – with Brock mere feet next to him – “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”
9) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”
10) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.
11) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”
12) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.
Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.
13) I didn’t believe this one at first. However, I emailed a few contacts within the Sox organization and they claim it actually happened. This is priceless, it really is.
The morning after the Sox finished off the sweep against St. Louis last October, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.
14) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after they arrived — again it was less than a mile – the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.
Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.
15) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”
16) OK, I know everyone has been waiting for it. Alas, according to both parties involved, it’s not true. I wish it were. Heck, both Rickey Henderson and John Olerud have said they wish it were true. But it just didn’t happen.
The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.”
Legend also goes that Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”
Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.
17) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”
18) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”
19) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed. Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman – then a low-level nobody with the organization – called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said, “I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”
20) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”
21) This is my all-time favorite. Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.
22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”
23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”
24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, “Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.
25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”
yabba dabba do! quitting time!
very interesting and well written story about Romero and Mitre suspensions
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/i.....Itemid=156
If anybody is watching MLBTV and heard Kubek refer to Mantle’s 660 foot homer in Detroit, yes it did happen. Actual measurement was 643 feet on the fly. I was in Detroit that day, 10 September 1960. It went out over right center. If you’ve seen the old clips from the All-Star game in Detroit where Jackson hit the transformer on the roof…the ball was hit about 75 feet to the left of that transformer. He hit it off of Paul Foytack. Foytack is the only other pitcher to give up 4 successive homers in a game (Chase Wright).
Bob: Oh my g-d these are amazing! I am trying so hard not to be obnoxiously loud with my laughter…
When will the “Yankees pay tribute to Jim Rice” thread be posted?
Hey guys,
How is everyone today? I was wondering if any of you knew anything about the cuban defectors – marti or gomez like what they throw, their stats, what kind of contract they want or their attitudes in general.
Bob The Original….That was priceless…..Should be sent to the newspapers…..I’m still laughing….
I second Pat M.
Bob – me too hysterical, I’m laughing out loud here…
Just thinking about all the A-Rod haters who think he’s a terrible waste because he’s hit 553 “non-clutch” HRs.
Rickey Henderson hit all those leadoff HR’s. I don’t rmember how many but I think he has the record for leadoff HR’s in a career.
You know what? For absolutley every single one of Henderson’s leadoff HRs, there was never anybody on base when he hit them and absolutely none of them were hit late in the game, much less after the 1st inning. What a selfish player, huh?
Were none of Henderson’s leadoff HRs clutch or worth anything? Was Henderson thinking he could get more money and/or attention by hitting his HRs to lead off the game rather than when they really mattered?
Just making sure ….
I sure wish the people who think that way would get off A-Rod for whatever they’re on him about. Never mind what he may think about it (he shouldn’t care what those kind of critics think anyways) it just gets tiresome to read.
watching henderson at bat on mlb network in a playoff game( oakland vs toronto) against john cerutti . strange feeling because i caught cerutti when he came over to to play on a umass summer team when he was with amherst college. cerutti died of a heart arrhythmia at age 44. he was a#1 draft pick and had a nice career with the jays.
henderson walks, and then gets picked off by cerutti and tips his hat to the jeering crowd.
what’s strange as you get older is when you see something historical and knowing you were there or crossed paths with someone who was there.
Bob’s post was a column from a while ago by somebody.
He should have given credit, I believe it was someone from ESPN.
lots of fun with rickey today, but i would like to have 2or 3 just like him, on my team.
“Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.”
Not the funniest but certainly the most ironic.
“In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?””
I couldn’t catch my breath after that one.
Bob may be original, but his post wasn’t
http://www.faniq.com/blog/The-.....Blog-15243
I am laughing so hard right in a restaurant….people are staring!
Nick-
Congrats on the Bears breaking the Top 25.
Bob’s post was a column from a while ago by somebody.
He should have given credit, I believe it was someone from ESPN.
————————————–
Sorry. I asssumed people would realize I just cut and paste that.
Googled “famous Rickey Quotes” and it came up in the context of some random chat forum.
Not trying to take credit for anything. Those stories have all been out there forever.
It doesn’t matter,,,Bob brought it here……Still cracking up…..
i was going to say the John Olerud one was my favorite… until i got to the last one…
Rickey is a character. Baseball needs more entertaining guys like him these days. He was one of my favorite players to watch during his tenure with The Yankees. While on first, he was just so menacing and disruptive for the pitcher. You couldn’t appreciate it on TV like you could in person. And despite his notorious ego, he was the most approachable player. Before the game we’d always go straight for Rickey. He would spend half of batting practice hanging out at the wall talking to the fans. I can’t believe that was 20 years ago. It feels like it was yesterday.
Tom- I had heard roughly 15 of those stories Bob was not taking credit he was just bringing some humor to the blog.
Every one of those Rickey-isms brought huge guffaws from me! Thanks, Bob for sharing that, wherever it came from!
I read an article the other day that Rickey was the original – Rickey was being Rickey way before Manny was being Manny, though both in different ways. On reflection, I would guess that’s true enough.
But all you people laughing out loud in public because you’re on your laptops and blackberries instead of doing what you’re supposed to be doing – shame on you all!!!
ANSKY,
Its not even worth acknowledge yankee fans who say they dont like arod, he isnt clutch or if they had their choice, he would be off the team. Those people clearly know very little about baseball. If arod wasnt around in 2007, we wouldnt have made the playoffs. Without a doubt, arod single handedly brought us to the playoffs with his monstrous career year in 2007. iF bringing a team to the playoffs isnt clutch, I dont know what is. He has also won two mvps with the yanks in four years and had the best season of his career with NY. I can understand liking jeter better but How ppl still boo him and say the yanks would be better without him is beyond me. Arod didnt do well in the playoffs in 2007 but jeter went 3 for 17 with no runs scored, wang went 0 -2 with a 19 era and posada went 2 for 15 with 0 rbis. How come no one boo’d them the following year?
Arod is one of the best players in baseball, has done amazing with the yanks so far and if yankee fans cant appreciate him then, they should just keep it to themselves. Its sickening sometimes how arod is treated in NY and its no wonder some players no longer want to be a yankee first and foremost when their a free agent and fans of other teams say that yankee fans are spoiled. When you boo a player that had the best season in decades in his own stadium, you just look like a fool who is doing nothing but hurting the yanks and should go root for another team. I hope it stops when arod helps us win a world series but I wont hold my breathe.
ANSKY: Well said.
Randy l: That is quite a story.
Buddy: How ’bout Syracuse?! Ranked #8!
Buddy: thanks, it’s nice after the crappy sports yesterday. I just looked and I was bummed that Cal was #22 and #23 in the two polls but didn’t crack the RPI – until I scanned up and saw them at #11. Heady stuff before Saturday’s showdown with Stanfurd down on their tree farm. Lose that one and the Bears tumble right back out of the rankings. Should be an exciting game.
Sorry Bob. Some people post on here without crediting their sources.
Pete often asks that you make sure you give credit, rightfully so.
The ever so humble Rickey will step to the podium at induction ceremonies and say, “There was never any doubt that I belonged here”.
It will bring the house down. Only Rickey could say it.
Rebecca-
You are in class but allowed to go online at the same time? Grad school sure has it’s advantages.
Looks like The Orangemen are a D-I school after all…..Tough game for Cal coming up….
Buddy: I’m not now, I’m just hanging out in the library. But I was earlier, we were in a computer lab and the prof was going on about how to use a computer application that I don’t have and won’t use (because I’m on a Mac and have a better, easier option instead!)
Just saw this online in a weather community:
“My call for Central Park’s low temperature Friday morning is about -2. Wind chills could range from -20 to -30 F Friday morning. Bundle up folks, it’s going to get nasty. ”
You can leave the upstate NY winter, but it never leaves you…
-20 in nyc? nah.
72 degrees & clear skies here.
Feds move to indict Rocket
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....s_per.html
Hilarious, Roger is going to the gray bar hotel for lying about using PEDs. We don’t have more important matters to prosecute.
…Don’t these people have better things to do with their time?
I know, I know, I shouldn’t be talking, but still…honestly…
Of course I always manage to get sick when the weather is at its coldest.
seriously, that’s our money (taxes) going down the drain.
Bob,
That was an absolute riot to read. Thanks. I worked with a guy who played with Rickey’s A’s years and the U.S.A. team. He said if he had to pick a player that was always/most misunderstood it would be Rickey. Reading your list, I now understand why.
Thank god we have sports for physically gifted players. Who knows where some would be without them.
“My call for Central Park’s low temperature Friday morning is about -2. Wind chills could range from -20 to -30 F Friday morning. Bundle up folks, it’s going to get nasty. ”
Wow, I feel a little un-manly turning the heater on and wearing a sweater when its 65 degrees in so-cal.
65 is bathing suit weather.
I didn’t think Bob was taking credit for all those Ricky-isms or even any one of them. I thought it was obvious that not one person (other than Ricky himself) could possibly have known or come up with all that stuff. Besides, you’d have to list as many credits as there are funny stories. Funny they are. Thanks Bob (and Ricky) for those.
Phil- I agree who cares about Clemens he already had his name dragged through the mud. I think bringing this thing to court is absurd.
…. in Syracuse, Rebecca … in Syracuse.
once again…
RICKY DONT HAVE NO EZ-PASS!
“65 is bathing suit weather.”
I guess this isnt the time to mention having one of those plastic heater tarps over my pool to get the temperature up from 75 to 85.
Good to see Rickey get in. He was the second best Yankee lead-off hitter of all time.
Did they post how many votes Horace Clarke got?
“I guess this isn’t the time to mention having one of those plastic heater tarps over my pool to get the temperature up from 75 to 85.”
*********************************************************
Wuss.
“65 is bathing suit weather.”
Rebecca, post a picture
“Wuss.”
Well i officially feel un manly. Or as our governor would say “girlyman”. Yes, i also dont take hot showers and trim my shaggy eyebrows. Thanks Angel.
Okay, this is way beyond odd
ARod has a crush on 60 year old Donna Karan
http://swampman.nypost.com/pho.....hoto07.htm
I guess Madonna was tooooo young.
“I guess this isnt the time to mention having one of those plastic heater tarps over my pool to get the temperature up from 75 to 85.”
Only if it’s LEED-certified. That’s how the Nats fans do it.
Yeah, I heard even the Nats lineup is energy efficient.
If he’s going to go after senior cougars, why not Raquel Welch?
Supposedly the Nats purposly don’t make the playoffs in order to reduce carbon emissions.
NYY needs to engage the Angels is talks. If they are seriously talking to the White Sox about a Dye for Figgins swap, NYY should consider a Figgins-Nady swap.
Phil, I haven’t taken a picture of myself in a bathing suit since I was 15.
Raquel Welch is 68. Alex has to be careful, he’s liable to break her hip.
A Figgins-Nady swap would be a steal.
Sorry, this is my only long post of the day so please read it if you have the time.
Optimism is nice but i love reading blogs or comments in which the yanks have upgraded because posada is replacing molina, matsui is replacing abreu and tex is replacing giambi. Further, CC is replacing moose, AJ is replacing pettitte and Wang is replacing wang of 2008. i AGREE this team is better than it was last year but the comment above is idiotic. Why? Because that is assuming no injuries! If we had no injuries last year, we would have made the playoffs without question. If we have no injuries this year, we will win 110 games. But why would any one assume we will have no injuries this year? We have them every singe season so why would this season be any different?
I think the team is absolutely fine the way it is if CC, Wang and aj pitch healthy and effectively the entire season. This would allow jobato start the year with aceves in the fifth spot and Hughes and kennedy or Geise or someone else from the minors can jump in for them when they reach their respective innings limit. But this is a fairy tale scenario and real-life is not the dreamworld that teams are on paper. In real life, CC threw 500 innings in two years, wang is coming off a major injury and AJ has NEVER had two consecutive injury-free seasons in his 9 year career. So not only is an injury-free rotation unlikely but it is extremely like that there will be an injury next season. What does this mean? The five starters above will start the season just fine. But the first injury will result in Hughes being called up most likely. When joba and aceves need to stop starting, we need all three starters to be healthy again and pitching well. This will be around early to mid august or so which is when pitchers start to tire so while it is possible, it may not be 100 percent accurate to predict all 3 will be fine. So if one pitcher is injured, the rotation will stand as two of CC, wang and AJ and hughes and kennedy most likely. This is assuming both of them have done well in triple A and are fully capable of pitching quality innings in the majors,
Now, what about the fifth spot? Well, joba and aceves are both either in the bullpen or on the bench and one of the big three are injured at this point. So we are left with Coke becoming a starter again, geise being taken out of long relief or a parade of triple A marginal talent. And if we have two injuries at once or if one of hughes and kennedy are hurt or inneffective – the situation becomes extremely messy. This is the type of scenario we have to assume will happen because the best approach is to assume for the best and expect the worst by management. last year, they assumed the best and guess what? We got the worst when wang went on the dl. Therefore, we cannot sit around and wait for pettitte to make up his mind unless the yanks feel eventually this deal will happen. Nady has become expendable with the acquisition of teixeira and we have about 8 expendable starting pitchers/relievers in the minors that probably wont even make the club this year if we get another starter but do have the talent to pitch in the national league. So we should look for a team that has a third or fourth starter they are willing to trade due to salary constraints or contract issues and ask them if we can plug their rotation and righty power hole in the lineup for their second or third best starter. With this starter, we have the luxury of trading a few of aceves, coke, Geise, jackson, de la rosa, sanchez, claggett, wright, garcia, hacker, Kontos, Whelan, Milton, Johnson, Igawa or even kennedy because we will have four starters all with 200 inning, ace potential plus whoever of this list we don’t trade which in my opinion would be aceves, coke, geise and kennedy. But a package of nady, Aceves, veras and jackson would net us a pretty solid starter and a decent prospect or two giving the other team a starting right fielder/first baseman with power, a MLB setup guy in veras, an NL solid starter in aceves and a solid prospect in jackson.
I picked aceves because he is the closest we have to major league ready starting pitching coming off a great year when his value is still high but a lesser pitcher could involve geise or even coke who can both start effectively in the NL. Cash acquired all this pitching talent and while using some for nady and swisher is for the most part, hording arms that have little use to us next season. The pen is stocked and with one more starter, the starting rotation is full for years to come. Guys like those above have little impact on the major league club when we already have CC, wang, AJ, Joba, Hughes, Kennedy, the new pitching acquisition and betance and brackman in a couple of seasons and the pen is stocked with young talent with Mo, Marte, Bruney, Ramirez, Albadejo, Robertson and whoever we keep above from Aceves, Coke, Geise and Sanchez. That is not even including Melancon, Cox and Whelan who can all have an impact on next years club. So why horde 20 other starting and relief pitchers if we can use them to acquire something WE NEED.
iT IS one thing trading away all your minor league talent for an old veteran or injury-prone hack but it is quite another, to use an abundance of arms to land us a solid, strong, young arm to fill the gap in much needed innings next year. We have went from one extreme of trading all our best talent to the other of keeping anyone we think we might have potential/value even if they cant help the major league club without ever getting to the happy medium of keeping talent in areas we need (ajax and montero) and using the value of an excess of talent in one position to land us a key player.
dave-
Your posts are going to blow up the blog, took me 15 mins to get back on.
me too … I dont know what happened
Back in the day it used to be possible to get autographs as some of the players left the stadium after the cops took down the barricades.
Rickey Henderson was one of the most accessible players I remember and always signed until everyone was happy. I remeber he used to have his own green Sharpie (this was when he was still with the A’s)
I also remember someone challenging him to a race or possibly betting him and Rickey obliged sprinting down Ruppert Place.
dave, was that post LEED-certified? I know it has its own Metro-North stop, but otherwise…?
You can see that post from google earth, Dave.
dave -
You blew up the blog. I couldn’t get on for 20 minutes after that. Wow.
dave,
as i told you last night, start up your own blog. holy cow, your comment just took up at least “10 comment boxes.”
Nick, that was fuuuuunny!
Dave, did you start typing that yesterday?
There’s over 1000 words in that post. 1000. That’s the equivalent of a 5 page double spaced paper.
Tom that was funny too!
i said it was long but it will be my only long comment of the night …
Is it better to put up a bunch of reasonably long ones or one very long one?
I doubt my comment had anything to do with the blog not letting us back in – same thing happened to me. If it did, sorry but i dont see how it could have and ive seen comments that long before. It only takes a couple of minutes to read so if you have the time…
the google earth comment i meant
no hard feelings dave i think its all in good fun.
Tom,
you actually check it? lol
Yeah, it the English Prof in me. It was sad that I was able to look at the size of the post and guestimate that it was about 1100 words. According to Word it’s 1067.
I have no life, Ed.
Dave, all kidding aside, you do make a valid point.
Tom,
lol its ok. its your duty so you had no choice.
dave, I did try to read your post, but you made me freak about about the enormous hole in the rotation, so I had to turn to “Anna Kerenina” to cheer myself up.
Dave, I agree.
Now I need a nap. Reading that post was exhausting.
Wait. There was an explosion and I missed it?
I choose bad times to eat dinner.
I bought the Cliff notes for the long post above – it says “hey – it’s all about pitching”
Tom, since my eyes were crossing and I was seeing double by the time I finished reading Dave’s post, could it be considered as 2134 words? (1067 x 2 = 2134)
Sorry Dave … to reiterate what Tom said you do make a (thoroughly) valid point.
DT yer killing me!
Im glad some of you guys were able to read it without taking a nap afterwards. wOW – 1000 WORDS. That has got to be a personal record even for me. I know it was people having some fun ansky – i dont mind. As long as I didnt spend all that time typing for nothing and some ppl read it, i dont mind the jeers.
I appreciate the general agreement guys and the only reason I wrote an essay to make my point is that ppl seem to be taking the last hole in the rotation far too casual. As if, everyone has already forgotten about last year all of a sudden. it should still be fresh in everyones minds – i know it is still fresh in mine. And a lot of bloggers seem to be ok about going into the season as is if petitte doesnt work out. The team in august will not be the team on paper right now and you can bet 1000 bucks on that and take it to the bank.
DT – Your right! it is – why spend 160 mil plus 82 mil and leave a trap door in the back. Its not worth it – all we need is another trade or 10 mil and we are ready to go. I hope cash knows this and is working on it right now… Doesnt cash usually take his annual vacation in late january? I hope he gets this thing done before he goes away with the fam.
dave, no one has forgotten last season and the last spot in the rotation has been discussed often and extensively. There was a huge thread about Andy Pettitte just a few days ago and another discussion about the same topic the day before that. And after too. Panic in the LoHud comment section will not influence Cashman!
Rickey don’t read long posts
is this guy series? Papelbon better then Rivera!!!
http://zellspinstripeblog.com/.....anks-sawx/
whew, thought my page down button stopped working.
Vito: LMAO!
El Captain: Dude, I think Zell’s friend must have missed all of last season. Mo was putting up Cy Young caliber numbers!
Nick,
I know but i feel better about it after writing. If i dont get my thoughts out, i HAVE nightmares about AJ going down with an injury in april and hughes and kennedy in the rotation by May neither of whom seem to be ready in the nightmare. It wakes me up for hours – tossing and turning! I know – deep breathes and no need to panic yet.
The post only had one sentence about pettitte though. i TRIED to keep him out of it for the most part because I know everyone is sick of talking about it.
Mets offered oli perez 3 years and 30 mil. Ironically, the same contract bradley signed and both of which could potentially be brutal contracts. Im glad the offer was made because i dont want the yanks touching oli with a ten foot pole.
Dave
I suggest watching dvd’s of the 1996 and 1998 seasons over and over as therapy for as long as it takes.
Then thank your lucky stars that the fifth spot in the rotation is your biggest worry. I got some worries I’ll trade ya for it!
Have fun and enjoy the season! You seem like a great guy.
dave: I had a dream about my ex-girlfriend last night and my step-mom was trying to make us go to some MacWorld convention, which was extra-annoying because neither of us has a Mac. Otherwise, I think it was basically the same dream you had. And then she called me today (my ex, not my step-mom), isn’t that crazy? But I didn’t panic.
Thanks brad pitt better looking brother, I may just take you up on that idea. I was only 12 in 1996 and barely remember it outside of the YES reruns I have seen. I just wish the yanks would have their glory days back now that I am old enough to appreciate what its like to win. Back then, I never even knew that they could lose. Now that i do, i feel like i am in a much better position to bask in the glory of victory – it will be sweet.
I used to have those Yankee pitching injury nightmares too.
I considered prozac, but a good friend just told me to stop watching Pavano’s Yankeeography.
Pavano’s Yankeeography can be seen here for the brave ones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugdullaEuJc
Nick,
How was that basically the same dream i had? Did you see the yanks losing on one of the macs in the dream? Why did your ex call you? Did it have something to do with a mac? Its good you didnt panic though – i freaked out.
The glory days are comin’ Dave, they’re comin’.
At least you didn’t have to grow up on the Yanks during the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s like I did! Now THAT was brutal. The pain of watching that enables me to now be able to take a cheese grater and run it down my shin and not even wince.
Just for discussion:
PRIME 9 on MLB network tonight had top 9 characters of the game and top 9 pitching performances.
For top 9 pitching performances:
1)Pedro 2000
2) Walter Johnson 1913
3) Gibson 1968
4)Gooden 1985
Guidry 1978
5) Maddux 1995
6) Koufax 1965
7) Mathewson 1908
9) Carlton 1972
They used ERA + in part to determine the makeup of this list. I’m in awe of some of these seasons. Mathewson 1908 -37 wins, extremely low ERA, I think double digit shutouts. Johnson 1913 – 36 wins, led the majors in 11 different categories. I had to sigh at Dwight Gooden because if you want to talk about wasted potential, he’s the perfect example. You couldn’t hit his curve (I think they called it Lord Charles instead of Uncle Charlie).
Ugh – I have no clue why that line is crossed out.
Top 9 characters:
1)Stengle
Dizzy Dean
2) Yogi
3)Lasorda
4) Fidrych
5) Spaceman Lee
6) Manny
7) Larry Anderson *wasn’t he traded for Jeff Bagwell?
9) Millar *he looks Amish with that ridiculous beard
At the end, they said they were going to save Scooter for the show on announcers and showed that hilarious clip of him introducing himself as Bill White – LOL
I wonder why White didn’t go to Phil’s funeral……
Nick, that video is the Übermensch of Pavano satire.
You mean they left Carl Pavano off the list? This is an outrage!
I didn’t say the dreams were *exactly* the same. There were no actual Macs in my dream, it was just my step-mom trying to get us to go. I was having none of it. As for my ex, she was just calling to talk, we’re still pretty good friends. She’s probably secretly still in love with me and wanted to see if I’ve matured any since we broke up. I started to tell her about some of the funny things I’ve said recently on LoHud but her signal must have dropped, suddenly she wasn’t there anymore!
Betsy: Double-hyphen is code for strikeout. Alas, I learned that the hard way.
mlb network just did a barry larkin analysis of his hall of fame chances with him sitting there. verducci, heyman,harold reynolds. of course everyone said he’s in. what are they supposed to say.
not saying he shoud be or not, but that is not exactly what you’d call a objective journalistic
panel because he’s sitting right there.
rice was just on and talked frankly which was interesting, he basically said he didn’t understand why it took so long.
mlb network has potential , but some of their stuff like the larkin thing is pretty lame.
Betsy
I think I remember that Bill White was out of the country somewhere (don’t know where) when Rizzuto died but that he had seen him shortly before he had left.
we –need– the html enable again.
Nick-
That was laugh out loud funny.
Nick that was cruel. I’ll be expecting those nightmare reruns. As Brando would say… “ahhh the horror”.
Dave – here is a good place to start for your Yankee dreams.
http://www.spiritcommunity.com.....er2249.php
Rebecca, thanks!
Brad, maybe they will have an all-DL list and an all-loser list – Carl would make both of them and likely be at the top of each.
Nick,
its just hard to date girls that aren’t into sports, baseball especially.i had to learn that the hard way. lol
Brad Pitt, is that true? I’m glad – I thought there’d been a falling out with them and that would have been a shame.
Brad Pitt, is that true? I’m glad – I thought there’d been a falling out with them and that would have been a shame.
Nick-
FWIW, she probably is still in love with you.
Betsy
Yeah, that’s what I seem to remember, but then again I tend to remember myself as being incredibly smart and devilishly handsome too.
So take it with an air of caution! lol.
Pavano yankeeography? For 40 million dollars, he won 9 games in 26 starts over the course of 4 years spending more time in the dl than any other player over the four year span. His injuries included his right shoulder, bruised butt, 2 broken ribs when he crashed his car and lied about it, elbow strain which resulted in tommy john surgery among other things. His final injury in sept of 08 was a hip injury when he finished off his disgraceful and criminal-like career in pinstripes. His character was questioned by posada and torre rightfully so.
When asked to take a minor league contract to clear roster space pavano declined because he wanted post-season bonus money even though his 40 mil was guaranteed making him look like an even bigger D – bag and preventing the yanks from having more roster flexibility which was his primary contribution to the team that season. He went through 4 agents in those years because he was such a people’s person. Pavano made over 1.5 million dollars per start and about 4.5 million dollars per win and will go down in history as one of the worst free agent signings of all time. Pavano still had the guts to blame his teammates for not supporting him when he signed with the cleveland this year showing how truly obnoxious and pathetic pavano really is as a player and as a person. Pavano is receiving 1.5 million guaranteed in 2009 from the indians. Ironically, that is about the same sum of money the yanks payed him per start in his time in NY. Does that sum up his career pretty accurately?
dave i know it was a short post for you but it was at least 400 words more than pavano deserves
I MEANT TO WRITE:
His final injury in sept of 08 was a hip injury which resulted in pavano walking off the mound in the middle of the sixth inning TO A SHOWER OF BOOS BY THE YANKEE FAITHFUL WHO SHOWED HIM HOW MUCH THEY APPRECIATED HIS TIME IN NY as he finished off his disgraceful and criminal-like career in pinstripes .
sorry ham fighter. I was trying to guess how a pavano yankeeography might go.
“January 12th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Nick,
its just hard to date girls that aren’t into sports, baseball especially.i had to learn that the hard way. lol”
You know, my boyfriend is the only guy I’ve ever dated that is remotely interested in sports.
Those Rickey stories that Bob posted before were hilarious. Can’t wait for spring training to start.
At least 24 helps past the time.
Dave you forget to mention he was a pal to Mike Mussina.
Not many know he took Mike under his injured wing, and taught him how to be a 20 game winner.
Gallanari was drafted over Brook Lopez…ain’t this a beautiful thing and Lawrence Frank still sucks.
Dave
So you’re saying Carl Pavano is kinda like the sports equivalent of Bernie Madoff in a pinstriped suit?
nick,
Its ok. We still appreciate the humor even if she doesnt. Is she a yankees fan?
Brad pitt,
Basically -the main difference is pavano got away with it and is still running his little scam just in another city. But it is similar because madoff clients and the yanks both have no recourse for the most part. They both have to hope they forget it ever happened.
DT,
when did pavano see moose? He was NEVER in the clubhouse. Im surprised he had a chance to see a yankee at all with all the time he spent in florida trying to avoid the team at all costs.
who cares about pavano, good riddance i coudnt care less about him now
Pavano did help Moose out in his last contact negotiation.
I hear Carl video-conferenced with the rest of the team.
Man the Knicks win in New Orleans tonight. They are so frustrating to watch, beat Boston and New Orleans and lose to Oklahoma City. Still will never stop watching them.
At least Isiah knew how to draft Wilson Chandler is going to be very good, and Lee is either going to hopefully bring back something good in a trade, or my hope a contract extension.
Dave it was all covert. They traded secret messages via the crossword puzzle page.
Rebecca,
wait what? your past bfs aren’t into sports?
LOL DT
I thought I noticed cryptic patterns in those word searches.
Hamfighter,
iT started because Nick mentioned a pavano yankeeography on utube. i was just trying to guess how it might have gone. But i agree with you – he is gone and we never have to hear his name again thank god.
Ed: Yeah. Happens when you’re also a fantasy geek….
And to think I was in favor of the signing of this chump….Not Jaret Wright though, at least Jaret had heart and pitched until he just couldn’t raise his arm….Pavano had a sack of puss for a heart…..
very true pat. very true.
Great day for Ricky and that pompous jerk Rice. Pete, I don’t know if you have been watching the new MLB Network lately but on tonight’s episode of “Hot Stove” Harold Reynold’s said that the Red Sox have the best pitching staff and baseball, then went on to say that he would take Jon Lester over CC, nothing against Jon but CC would most likely win. He also told the rest of his analysts that the Yankee’s bullpen more or less sucks, and I’m pretty sure our bullpen was the bright side of last year, aside from Pudge on calling fastballs for Edwar which always ended up out of the park.
I know I’m way late on this thread but I figure I’ll just throw in a comment.
I’m psyched for Rice. It took a while, but he totally deserves it.
I never ever do this, but I have a good source that says the yankees and the giants are working on a deal that would send swisher and ian kennedy to SF and the yankees would recieve Jonathan Sanchez and possibly matt cain. The yankees would have to cover a lot of swisher’s salary and there may be more players involved. I’ll keep you posted if i hear more.
If this is true, then Harold has lost quite a few brain cells in the transition from ESPN to MLB. Lester is very good, but can he do it for more than one season please? And Wang is better than Matsuzaka………..I won’t get into the AJ/Beckett comparison as I don’t know enough to judge.
I know he did put in his plug for Joba to the pen again. Oy vey, Harold – he truly is terrible.
what % of people read dave’s long posts? 10?
just curious.
I never read dave’s posts. He takes the ribbing really well though, gotta count for something right?
yeah, im sure he’s a good guy and have nothing against him… just figure he should save his time if nobody is reading them.
or as others have suggested, start his own blog.
never read dave’s posts….if you cant get ya point across in a few words. then is just worthless dribble
michelle: Are you kidding me?!
That deal would be amazing, depending on the players to be named.
I can’t see the Giants trading 2 of their SP’s, maybe one. I hope they keep Swish tho.
michelle b. (X is the best letter in the alphabet!)
January 12th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I never ever do this, but I have a good source that says the yankees and the giants are working on a deal that would send swisher and ian kennedy to SF and the yankees would recieve Jonathan Sanchez and possibly matt cain. The yankees would have to cover a lot of swisher’s salary and there may be more players involved. I’ll keep you posted if i hear more.
———————————————————-
is your good source peter gammons. sounds like the rubbish he spits out
Buddy: Yeah, but San Francisco would (theoretically) be getting a young starter in return. Honestly, Sanchez is the one that really attracts me in the deal.
However, my approval, which ultimately matters to no one but myself, is contingent on the players-to-be-named.
michelle b,
i rather do Nady + Kennedy instead. i hope the Yanks keep Swisher.
no chance they get matt cain in that package unless the yanks are sending 2 of their TOP prospects back.
Boston Dave: Don’t underestimate the genius of Brian Sabean…
Color me skeptical about Matt Cain unless there are serious other shoes to drop or they’re much more down on him that I think. He’s actually younger than Lincecum.
Hopefully the audience for this rumor is one Andy Pettitte.
“He’s actually younger than Lincecum.”
speaking of Lincecum, could we trade Burnett for him?
extend the deal and trade Veras and Ransom for Madison Bumgarner and pablo sandoval….LOL
this giants rumor is a load of varitek (garbage)
michelle is a straight shooter. If she’s posting about it, there is at least some smoke.
“this giants rumor is a load of varitek (garbage)”
Great Call
hey all – im not sure about the details – and no peter gammons is not my source. I work in the athletic world so i have a lot of good contacts. If it pans out hell, you can say you got your scoop here. If it doesn’t oh well, its just another rumor that had no backbone.
I will say that i’ve also been told that nady will not be included in discussion as sabean will not accept a player who is in a walk yr. And, the yanks are certainly entertaining the idea of aaron rowand for the right deal.
So are we talking Swish & IPK plus 1 or 2 minor leaguers for Sanchez & Rowand?
buddy, i would think that is most logical. Since, as posted before, giving up cain would probably be ridiculous.
PS
Have you tried any of my east bay restaurant recommendations?
Nick,
i think someone posted this earlier but, i think the yankees are looking for a way to slash some 8 – 10 mill so they can sign pettitte as he is now willing to accept the 10 mill offer.
michelle-
Still waiting for your list.
Aaron Rowland?….ask a giants fan about him…he was terrible in CF last year.and you want him to stink it up at the new stadium
Rickey was so great to watch. Not sure we’ll ever see someone with that kind of speed and acumen on the bases.
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