Pinch hitting: Yankees And More
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jan 21, 2009 
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January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we will showcase other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.
Next up is Gary from Yankees And More.
Gary is from Wayne, N.J., and works for Passaic County as a social worker. A season-ticket holder and long-time fan. Gary’s favorite Yankee all-time is Don Mattingly. Mariano Rivera is his favorite active player.
Here’s his post:
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I have been going to the old Yankee Stadium for the past 25 years. I have seen many things in that time. I have seen Dale Berra and Bobby Meacham getting thrown out at home plate on the same play, Doc Gooden’s no-hitter, playoff and World Series games, Roger Clemens’ 300th win, A-Rods three home run game and many more. The curtain has gone down on the cathedral and it is bittersweet, a few tears were shed but now I am ready for the new Yankee Stadium.
The new Yankee Stadium is right across the street, which makes it easier. I have seen the progress of the new Stadium over the past year. I now feel the excitement building, I can’t wait to step foot in the new cathedral in April. The Yankees have not won a world series since 2000 but a new era is starting and with it a new string of Yankees success. Big Tex, CC, and A.J. have made moving into the new Stadium even more exciting. This stadium has the same look as the pre-renovation Yankee Stadium.
The new Stadium has a martini bar, steakhouse, museum, more leg room and more vendors and bathrooms where you never have to miss a pitch, since you can still see the field while standing on line. As I write this, I am growing more excited. 2009 is definitely a time for change and it should be a great year. It will be difficult at first to not go right to section 5, tier reserved, row M, seats 7 and 8. I am sure I will take the full tour of all the new stadium has to offer at the exhibitions against the Cubs and be ready for my first game shortly after. There are going to be lots of memories to be made, hopefully a lot more playoffs and World Series wins.
I am sure I will see Jeter and Mo have their days, A-Rod break the all time home run record and who knows what else? The great thing about baseball is every time you step foot into the stadium, you never know what history you may witness. I can’t wait to get it all started, a new era is born. I will see you all at the new cathedral.
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Thanks, Gary. Coming tomorrow: John from Sox and Pinstripes.
Great job Gary. That was a very interesting and informative post about Yankee Stadium. I have had many memories myself of the old stadium. I also witnessed Gooden’s no-hitter and Clemen’s 300th victory. That’s just two of the many memories that I have during my years of going to the stadium. I can’t wait to visit the new stadium this year. Once again, great job and your blog is my favorite one on the internet. You are one of the most knowledgeable Yankee fan and sports fan that I know. If anybody is reading this, check out his site. It’s a must read.
glad you’ve come to terms with the new stadium.
It’ll be hard to come to terms with the New Stadium, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little excited about it.
No offense to anyone (hank!), but I don’t care where the games are played. I just want a win. Lots of them.
I do hope, though, that visiting players will be shocked and awed. I hope the fans are loud and rowdy (but please leave the Yankees alone!).
boring
Repost from last Subject
GreenBeret7
January 21st, 2009 at 1:23 am
Betsy
January 20th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Trish, I never knew much about the reserve clause, but it was detestable. The Black Sox scandal happened mostly because Comiskey was a cheap you know what. The idea that players should be under a lifetime contract in essence is unbearable to me. It’s why I don’t like the owners and why I have no problem with players making the $$ that they do. Hey, it’s a free market system. I’d like to know more about how Curt Flood challenged the system. Who, in the end, made the decision stating that the reserve clause was illegal? Was it the Supreme Court? I wouldn’t think so – especially after they long ago confirmed Baseball’s ability to rule itself.
——————————————————————————————
many people are under the impression that Flood won his case against Bowie Kuhn and baseball, but, the Supreme Court upheld the Reserve Clause and lood actually lost.
Arbitor Peter Seitz ruled against bseball and that’s when Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were declared FA after playing the 1975 season without contracts. Oddly, McNally had planned to retire anyway, but, Marvin Miller asked him to agree to join Messersmith in the lawsuit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Flood
Wave said: “Andy lives in Houston, and Andy is a rich man.
If he decides to pitch in Houston for less money, he will be with his family. He can afford it and it may be worth it to him to be with his wife and kids. I don’t think you should think less of somebody for that.
Personally, I think this is all part of the back and forth. I would take any reports you read with a rather large grain of salt.”
If it is not true that is fine. I dont really believe it now. But if it is true – andy will never be the same in my book. I know he is extremely rich and that is why 10 million was a fair offer for a fourth or fifth starter well past his prime and should have been taken. But he rejected it because he is thinks he deserves more and that is fine – if he can get more, good for him. But to say he did not care about the money and all he wanted to do was pitch in the new stadium and then, reject the yanks fair 10 mil dollar offer and then, go to houston and take less would be a hard, painful slap across the face followed by a big middle finger pointed right at us fans. How can we not as yankee fans take that personally? How could we not think less of him after he says all he wants to do is pitch at the new stadium and goes out of his way to do anything but pitch next year in pinstripes?
I WILL take it with a grain of salt as you advised and i wont believe a word of it until it becomes a reality. I dont even believe it right now. But to not think less of him if it happens is impossible. That would be the worst and most hurtful move he can make to the fans, his teammates and the organization. I just hope he comes back so all these shananigans can end already. We need him back frankly and he should come back – i dont know where these negotiations went so wrong but both of them seem to be letting pride or a marginal sum of money get in the way of a near perfect fit.
very interesting and informative? I guess someone has not read any of the other pinch hitter posts this january. Pete should ban any of the other guests from writing about the old stadium new stadium transition – how many of those have there been already? darin, you will have to explain to me what you learned from this post.
I know many people will tell me- “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all”, but I feel that despite the negative tone of my upcoming comment, it should be taken constructively.
Here was yet another poster, after what was a consecutive strings of interesting informant ones, who wrote about essentially nothing. He informed us that he has memories from the old stadium, and will also have ones at the new stadium, but with better technology and layout. Didn’t give us any information or any unique perspective.
I hate to say this man, but do you think that this interests most, if any?
This was badly written and totally useless
“The new Yankee Stadium is right across the street, which makes it easier.”
…and if you’re driving down from the north, it saves gas too!
i’m replying to a defunct thread because i just finished reading three full days of posts – OUCH! i never collected any autographs in my life, but i have spoken russian to and shaken the hands of both alexander kerensky and mikhail gorbachev. i also “partied” with timothy leary while he was based in millbrook, ny! and i had a cot next to e. howard hunt at danbury fci where i played basketball with clifford irving (who didn’t cheat lol).
Well, at least it was refreshing that Gary was not trashing the Yankees for putting a martini bar in the stadium.
Actually, Gary, my brother-in-law said about the same thing as you about watching the new stadium take shape across the street. He said at first he was not so sure they needed a new one, but with each game he went to, the new place looked better and better and, like you, can’t wait to step inside.
Let’s all hope the kick-off season is a successful one.
I’m getting more and more excited for the new stadium. A small part of me still can’t believe this is all happening. Oh well. Exciting times.
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Stephen January 20th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
So, you thought the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball team of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan couldn’t get any worse?
Neil Best has news for you!
ESPN will announce Wednesday that Steve Phillips will join Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the “Sunday Night Baseball” booth for 2009, altering for the network’s announcing lineup for its showcase event for the first time in 20 seasons of televising MLB.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/
==============================================
Was this move by ESPN suppose to be a good thing? Or another way to torture us poor baseball fans.
I enjoyed Gary’s post. The critical comments come from the usual bunch of negative drones.
Since this new thread is moving slowly (as could be expected early in the morning) I’ll ask my stupid question now!
I realize that baseball protocol is that the CF calls anything he can reach. However, if the Yankees should decide that they will opt for offense over defence and start Damon in CF, with Nady and Swisher in right and left, would it not make sense to let Nady/Swisher take any fly balls that they can reach in the gaps (and not Damon) whenever there are men on base?
Certainly that would limit the number of times that Damon’s greatest defensive weakness is exposed, namely his weak arm. The Yanks could then move Gardner/Melky into CF in the late innings.
Obviously this all plays out in ST when it will be decided whether Damon still has at least the required range. But, should that prove to be the case, what’s the consensus of opinion here about the idea of a Swisher, Damom, Nady OF, left to right?
I don’t think Damon will get alot of playing time in center because of his age. They will want to keep him healthy to be their leadoff hitter. I think the stress of playing center would hurt that.
very solid analysis of the state of the blue jays and baseball in the harball times. this paragraph caught my eye:
“To be a Selig loyalist one must view players as an expense (something to keep to a minimum) rather than an investment (a vehicle that can be used to increase profits). Right now, the Jays’ current payroll is based (they say) on projected revenue. However, little thought is given to how wise expenditure might improve that projection. ”
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....-baseball/
i’v been saying for years that this philosophy has been holding teams back all over baseball. if over the last 25 years, the other teams had adopted the opposite (we’ll call it the steinbrenner) strategy, they might have revenues to spend now, like the yankees do.
george knew from the beginning that signing the best talent at top prices was an investment in the Yankees brand, and he never shied away from it. just the notariety that comes with signing the players expands the brand. once again the yankees have invested more heavily in thier own brand than any other team, and once again all anybody could talk about all winter was the yankees. and once again next year, the yankees will swamp every other team with thier revenues.
now that’s a buisness plan. lets hope other teams keep being cheap and complaining about the yankees investing in themselves.
It’s not Damon’s range – it’s 2 things, his legs (which may or may not have been because of age/conditioning) and his noodle arm. Both Gardner and Melky have the range Damon does, but both have better arms than he does. Damon is fine in LF. Moving him to center is the only scenario if you end up keeping both Nady and Swisher.
In the end, I think they end up trading Nady (and his $6m salary) either for a prospect or a 4th/5th starter (probably to the Nationals) and find a way to bring Andy back while saving face on both parts (somehow).
SA- Thanks for the great news. Susan and John are trilled they will get higher numbers this year for Sunday night baseball. As if 2 Yankee haters wasn’t enough espn has to add a third.
wave- This is regarding your post last night. How can you say it isn’t about money and about being closer to his family, when he has held the Yankees up for more money for the last 2 plus months. If he signs with the Astros for less money I’ll have my self a new item to wash my car with, cause that shirt will be trash to me. Andy has already lost a lot of respect in my book. I won’t rehash it again–but regarding what he said about money and the new stadium. It will take a lot for him to redeem himself.
I heard the funniest thing on MLB tv last night. They were talking about how “brilliant’ Theo is and how the soxs are the premier place for free agents to go to (that they weren’t once). So I began to think about it. Who was the last ‘premier’ free agent to sign with the soxs? Manny? Or are they counting Penny, and all the broken down has been stars?
Did anyone else hear this and have insight into what they were actually thinking?
Did the guys on MLB say that? I fast forwarded through the Sox stuff…..oy vey. I love the network, but they already do (especially Reynolds) show the love to the Sox (but they are not anti-Yankee -in fact, I generally think they are fair to the Yanks).
GreenBeret, thanks for the info! I will read more about it when I have more time…….and Brad, thanks for the link! Ugh, work beckons.
Betsy- I think it was on the hot stove show. I’ll check to see if they archive it on their site.
Interesting article from Rosenthal:
“SI.com, citing a baseball source, reported Tuesday that Pettitte is weighing a lesser offer to return to the Astros. However, Astros GM Ed Wade told FOXSports.com, “I haven’t had any discussions with Andy or any of his representatives at all. We’re up against our (budget) number right now.”"
So according to Rosenthal, Pettitte has no offer from the Astros. More leveraging? He also suggests that the Yanks should sign Sheets as an answer to Penny/Smoltz and also get Juan Cruz as a setup man. Both are type A but would only cost a 4th and 5th round draft pick. At this point, I’d talk to Andy and Sheets, and give them their offers (Andy’s $10m flat and Sheets’ at $8m with a couple of incentives for IP) and let them know that whoever grabs their deal first gets the job. As for Cruz, why not? Bruney nor Marte has proven themselves either. If anything Marte has only proven that he’s a three out/one inning guy. 4th rounder? Do it.
story link:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....t-done-yet
Sounds like it was written by an 8th grader. How about naming all of your favorite players while you’re at it.
Other interesting nugget from the Prsenthal article:
“The Yankees are encouraged by the play of center fielder Melky Cabrera in the Dominican winter league; in just over 100 plate appearances, Cabrera had a batting average/on-base/slugging line of .312-.393-.409. Defense is the Yankees’ priority in center field, and club officials believe that Cabrera, Brett Gardner or some combination of both will fill the position adequately …”
I just want to thank Pete again for this oppurtunity. Darin thanks for the kind words but Pete has the best blog around. To all the negative comments, i accept and thank you for them also. I was working with limits though and if you want to talk about the Yankees please check out my site and comment all you want on things like Nady signing,should Petitte come or go? I just ask you to check out my site and then judge me from there. I thank everyone for there time.
sunny
That is interesting. But one thing, if the ‘bogus’ story about Andy weighing a lesser offer is supposed to ‘scare’ the Yankees into offering more. I’d venture to say it would have done the opposite. It would probably make them more angry. First the bogus 3/36 offer, than I believe they mentioned the red soxs. After what the Yankees did for Andy last year, it just isn’t cool.
Was this move by ESPN suppose to be a good thing? Or another way to torture us poor baseball fans.
…………………………..
It sounds like Phillips is replacing Gammons on Sunday night baseball so Gammons can spend more time with his Red Socks.
Garym
What some who are posting the negative comments fail to realize that you are limited to only 500 words. Also didn’t you submit your entry weeks ago? So you had no idea what anyone else wrote about.
I’ll say it again, if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all. If people don’t like the entry skip over it. It is very simple.
Lighten up folks, he’s a GUEST.
Sunny – interesting that article talks about “another offer” for Pettitte. Seems like that’s the second phantom offer. If his agents are trying to channel Boris into making the Yanks think there is a mystery team involved they are not doing a very good job.
Fran- Apparently Andy doesn’t care about his legacy with the Yankees or Yankee fans.
I’d be interested to see a poll as to who Yankee fans place the blame on for Andy not being signed yet. The majority of people who post here seem to place blame on Andy.
jennifer –
probably not cool, but it could in effect allow a crack in the door that gives the Yankees an “excuse” to put the offer back on the table at the least.
Houston for less money? I think Houston said they weren’t interested a while ago.
Also, some people here still try to say what a great stand up guy Pettitte is. Really? HGH, lied about how many times he did it, ditched NY for Houston, ditched Houston for NY, about money (which is fine), but this time, he swore money wasnt an issue and it was yankees or retire. Isnt greed one of the 7 deadly sins?
I am so pumped for Melky. I like that guy (i think im in the minority). I believe he has way more potential than people give him credit for and i believe he will pull himself together offensively this year. Last April he showed what he could do, now he needs to do it for a full season. Stay away from Daniel Cabrera!!!
“I enjoyed Gary’s post. The critical comments come from the usual bunch of negative drones.”
Ditto.
sheets & cruz would make us downright nasy & melky’s numbers in the dl are very encouraging.he started out on fire in 08.if he can just stay consistant he can put up excellent numbers, 25 hr/80 rbi would be sweet.
Jennifer – I agree with you. Andy was the one who said it wasn’t about money. Only that he wanted to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium.
About Andy. I am going to make some assumptions here.
If has not escaped the Yankees that Andy is going to be front and center in the ongoing Clemens drama.
That very issue caused Andy to be “unable” to get all of his work in last season.
Andy didn’t get any younger.
The Yankees may very well have decided they will not tender Andy any offer whatsoever based on his possible “unavailability” in the upcoming months.
If these assumptions are true, wasn’t Andy a horse’s ass not to have taken the Yankee’s original offer? Actually I am relieved Andy has not been signed by the Yankees. I hope it remains that way.
Tex’s New Best Friend
January 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Houston for less money? I think Houston said they weren’t interested a while ago.
Also, some people here still try to say what a great stand up guy Pettitte is. Really? HGH, lied about how many times he did it, ditched NY for Houston, ditched Houston for NY, about money (which is fine), but this time, he swore money wasnt an issue and it was yankees or retire. Isnt greed one of the 7 deadly sins?
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Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good hate. Pettitte took less money to go to Houston in 2004.
Thanks Jennifer and Trisha. That is exactly true, if you don’t like the guest posts then just don’t read them but like I said I would hope you go to my site and check it out and then judge from there and please leave comments there. Yes, i was limited to the amount of words and did hand it in early but its not so much not knowing what others are writing but picking the topic ahead of time and not wanting or able to change after. I would like to get a discussion going of who is for and against the new stadium?? I have a lot of Yankee topics to discuss on my site if you just check it out.
Fran – I’m really not sure what their motivation is to lie about another offer but the fact that they’re not “mulling retirement” in my mind, means he definitely wants to play, but why they would put out that it’s a lesser offer (when there isn’t even any offer) seems to go against logic. The *only* thing I can think of is that its common knowledge that the Astros have no money so that it would be more believeable that they would make a lesser offer. Either way, it doesn’t make sense that he would authorize his agents to make such claims unless he was trying to get the yanks to put their offer back on the table. IMO – that is.
One to watch – Alan Horne will be pitching again at full strength for the Yankees this year.
Was Watching has an article up from the Jackson County Floridian interview with Horne.
It is interesting to think that if one of the two guys who were the “closest to the majors” to start the 2008 season panned out we would not have seen much of the pile o’leftover pitchers last year. Steven White flames out. Alan Horne was injured.
Horne can be big time. He is getting on in age but has very, very good stuff. If he can get back to full strength we see him in the Bronx this year.
BTW – Everyone in Boston is a buzz with reports the Sox are worried if Ortiz will ever recover his form.
Jennifer,
If Andy would sign with the Astros for Less money, wouldn’t that make it not about the money?
Trisha,
I am going to make an assumption. That because of the ongoing Clemmons drama Andy is going to work harder then ever. he will forget the legal issues through baseball. Assumptions are easy to make.
It seems that Andy and the Yankees have been through this once before. It wasn’t about the money that time either. It was about respect and family.
I will wait untill all the information is available before I “place the blame”.
Gary I will definitely check out your site, though it may not be until later today. I am usually a hit and run poster during work hours!
Well, a wrist injury is usually the hardest for a hitter to recover from because the swing is such a violent action and if the wrist is not fully healed, it can affect the way you swing at the ball. Even to the point of adjusting your mechanics/stance. If Papi’s wrist is less than 100% or if he even just thinks it, it could affect his entire season.
Is it an olive branch that Pettitte is trying to extend? If he would consider a lesser offer from Houston, will he now take either the original $10 mil from the Yankees or less?
Makes me think there is currently no offer from the Yankees to Pettitte hanging out on any table anywhere.
Look, I know Pettitte said money was not an issue. But you have to believe he thought that meant he would get fair market for his services, and so money would NOT be an issue. The problem was the disconnect between the two parties on what his fair market value is/was. Perhaps Pettitte’s camp was just waiting to see exactly what that value is – based on the Derek Lowe signing, among other things. The problem is Andy didn’t get (apparently) any other offers from anyone else, so no bargaining power in that area was available to him. But he’s not exactly comparable to Lowe because of injury history and the fact that Pettitte has made two things public – he only wants to pitch year-to-year, and his preference was to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium. Lowe is a multi-year guy (sets a rotation for a few years) and is much less of an injury risk, even if his “stuff” isn’t as good as Andy’s when both are “on.”
I choose not to “hate on” Andy. But I will say that I do question the way he and his agents have handled this whole thing. I said awhile ago that the Yankees proceeded this off-season thinking Andy was going to be a non-issue (for once) and, yet again, that’s not the case. I believe the Yankees had a “budget” that factored in an amount for Pettitte and didn’t worry about it after that because Andy said money was not an issue. Well, the best laid plans and all that.
So, Pettitte will either sign for what the Yankees dictate, or not at all, and the Yankees will figure something else out. And life, and the 2009 season, will go on.
Tarheel, if the Yankees did not pay attention to the upcoming Clemens debacle and the possible ramifications concerning a potential starting pitcher, they would be extremely irresponsible. That’s not an assumption, that’s fact.
How it all plays out remains to be seen.
I’m willing to lay odds since we heard so much about how Andy was unable to get all of his work in last year because of the “distraction”, the Yankees will think long and hard about whether a federal grand jury will ease his mind enough for him to be able to play ball. I will also lay odds that they will consider the NY press and the circus circus atmosphere that will follow.
And here’s another reality pill, not an assumption. When you’re called by a federal grand jury you show up. It doesn’t matter whether you’re scheduled to pitch, or get your work in, or get ready for a game the next day.
Sunny – It is actually more than the wrist. The Sox think guys with Papi’s body type deteriorate rapidly in their mid-30s. Guys like Vaugh, Fielder etc drop off the table. Even if Ortiz plays well this year how long can he keep it up.
Interesting when thinking about the Sox offense. They certainly have some very good players but are now without or have a diminished 3-4-5 from two years ago (Manny, Ortiz, Lowell).
And oh yeah, if Roger is indicted, the way it appears he will be, Andy will be front and center at any trial that ensues.
More for the Yankees to consider.
Tarheelyank
It’s only about money with Andy if the Yankees are signing his check.
Trisha
It’s the Yankees. Distractions are an everyday occurance. Always will be.
As far as the Grand Jury, Andy is not on trial. How long will testimony take? 1 maybe 2 days. I dont see the great big problem for the Yankees regarding this issue.
Let the process play out, then if Andy is wrong have at him. 178 Yankee wins means a lot to me.
five iron
If papi is in decline (which is a distinct possibility), I don’t believe their lineup will be in any jeopardy. New faces have popped up (Youk, Pedroia for starters) to come in and stepped up. They won’t be the feared 3-4-5 but it will still be a productive offense. The only thing that will change will be the kind of offense. I have no doubt they’ll still be a force to reckon with. (unfortunately)
Tarheel here are the possible issues they need to at least consider.
1. if Clemens is indicted by the grand jury (a sure bet) and refuses to take a plea if one is offered to him, there will be a trial. Andy will be subpoenaed to testify.
2. Clemens has sued MacNamee for defamation of character and has decided to forge ahead with that trial. If that trial goes, Andy will be called to testify at that also.
That’s a lot to consider.
And it isn’t only the testimony time, it’s Clemens insisting that his good friend has “misremembered” things and the toll it is going to take on Andy to remain strong and remember the truth while Clemens will continue to publicly dance with the devil.
Has anyone considered the notion that our judicial system isn’t exactly quick to conduct major trials like this one?
What makes people think that this whole ordeal will proceed and get done within the next 9 months?
These kinds of things take forever. Our judicial system isn’t exactly known for it’s swiftness.
If people are looking for reasons to not sign Pettitte – this is another sticking point for them. But it appears by all accounts that the Yanks are still leaving the door open to resigning him.
Jennifer mentioned earlier that MLBTV talked about the redsox being the place free agents wanted to play. I heard it too. I tuned in and Chris Rock(or was it Harold Reynolds) was gushing about the sox. The reality is that only Drew and Lugo have signed there as FA since the chosen one has been the GM. Yes, Papi, Beckett, and some others have re-upped for less to stay there. But, they have alienated more good players than those who have come-Pedro, Manny, Nomar, Damon, Orlando Cabrera, maybe Varitek. Matsuzaka didn’t choose Boston, he had to play there if he didn’t want to return to Japan.
“Has anyone considered the notion that our judicial system isn’t exactly quick to conduct major trials like this one?
What makes people think that this whole ordeal will proceed and get done within the next 9 months?
These kinds of things take forever. Our judicial system isn’t exactly known for it’s swiftness.”
It is the uncertainty that makes me more daunting for the Yankees.
Trisha
I am going to “assume” that IF there are any trials, they will not take place in 2009.
I am going to assume that one of best pitchers of all time has information (that we do not) on why he has not signed with the Yankees yet.
I am not going to hate one of the Yankee’s best pitchers ever, on assumptions or rumours.
Trisha thanks I understand, i usually dont post much during work hours either. I think the Sox are worse then people think,we don’t know if lowell will bounce back,Papi is hurt and not the same without manny,Drew always gets hurt. It will be interesting to see what happens with their catcher situation and ss.
Mark- Good to know I wasn’t hearing thing.
Yeah most of their players were acquired in a trade or as of late came up through the system.
If Clemens goes to trial and Pettitte has to testify, that doesn’t mean he has to sit through the entire trial. He’ll know when he has to appear, and NYY has the pitchers to cover a day like that. If he has to go, it would be at most 2-3 days during the season. Quit acting like he’ll be gone 3-4 weeks at time. At his age, he’d most likely be making about 30 starts, anyway, just to keep him healthy. Pettitte still makes the most sense for the Yankees in 2009 for what the team needs from a #2-3 pitcher pitching in a #4 pitching slot.
Gary
Thanks for the post. I enjoyed it
pettitte has too much baggage and is delusional about his position. the yankees made a fair offer. time to move on.
they do need a 200 inning pitcher who can go 6 innings more often than not with a league average era.
if they don’t get it , all kinds of bad things can happen to the other four in the rotation as they try to cover for the weak link.
cashman didn’t insure his job for 2010 by signing sabathia, burnett, and teixeia; he insured that he will be fired if they don’t make the playoffs after all that money spent.
why spend that much and leave a weak link in the pitching staff?
he could roll the dice and count on hughes, aceves, kennedy, and the kitchen sink and maybe get away with it. or the yankees could go down the drain with his gamble.
the simple thing to do is to buy insurance for the other 4 starters and use that 10 million that was going to go to pettitte and get someone solid for the last spot.
Randy
Thanks for Clete story. I pictured myself in the room.
The way people react on this blog to Andy mystifies me.
People toss around “facts” as if they had any idea what the actual facts are. Here are some “actual facts”:
Fact 1: No one on this blog knows what Andy’s actual intentions are with respect to the Yanks.
Fact 2: No one on this blog knows what the Yanks’ actual intentions are with respect to Andy.
Fact 3: No one on this blog knows how important making the maximum income is to Andy, how important pitching close to his family might be to Andy, how much it might be worth to Andy to live at home during the season or even how much Andy wants to pitch at all in 2009.
Here are some other things that aren’t “facts”, but IMO are pretty close:
A. No other pitcher left on the free agent market is as advantageous to the Yanks as Andy is.
B. If it calls Andy to testify, the Grand Jury will work with Andy in scheduling any appearance he may have to make before it.
C. When it comes to how the public perceives players as free agents, baseball management is much more effective in presenting its side of the story than players are. Most stories you read come from management sources. So it does not surprise me that fans seem to think Andy has mishandled things.
D. The Yanks will do everything they reasonably can to try to win in 2009. (This may be an assumption, but if so it’s a pretty good one.)
My conclusions:
1. It is silly to say Andy will have “blown it” if he signs elsewhere for less than $10MM. Without knowing facts 1 and 3 above, it is impossible to assess this.
2. If Andy signs with Houston for less than $10MM, he was willing to take less to stay close to home.
3. The Yanks will still sign Andy. (From A and D above)
For those of you talking about Ortiz: he believes his wrist is better, according to an article I read last night. Obviously, that’s a bit like asking Ben Sheets if he’s healthy, so take it for what it’s worth.
Thanks Tarheelyank. My question is this to Pete if no to Petitte then who should the Yanks look at?? I know you dont think Sheets but what if they can get him cheap with incentives? I might just let Hughes pitch and hope he stays healthy.
randy,
Do I hear the start of a Livan campaign?
wave your hat-
lots of people like me are sick of andy pettitte’s wishiwashiness .
he screwed up big time. just shut up and take the ten million.
or not.
the bottom line is that pettitte has become high maintenance.
he’s got baggage big time.
and all the more so when he doesn’t seem to acknowledge it.
people talk about clemens being delusional.
andy pettitte is just as delusional and needs to do everything he can do to stay out of the headlines.
the fact we’re talking about him is not good for andy pettitte because it means a whole lot of other people are too.
he needs to put things behind him and play baseball.
turning down 10 million in this market with his baggage is just plain brain dead.
10 million in this market will more than get the yankees what they need.
“randy,
Do I hear the start of a Livan campaign?”
the problem is that it would take 1.5 million to sign livan and then 8.5 million for extra food in the clubhouse.
then there’s the problem of girardi’s ban on treats. livan can not eat innings on alfalfa sprouts.
I’m over Andy. (1) He’s made over $100m in baseball throughout his career, (2) played in NYC for about 10 years, so it is not like he needs to figure out if it is the right place for him, (3) already stated, publicly, that he wanted to pitch in the new Stadium and that it was not about the money at this point in his career, and (4) had an offer for $10m from the Yankees. Sure, he can do whatever he wants to squeeze some team out of a few more bucks, but he is coming across very poorly right now and frankly, I’m an Andy fan. Good riddance, let’s pick up Sheets instead. 1/2 a season of Sheets is probably better than a full season of Andy if he spits the bit like he did last year down the stretch.
the bottom line is that pettitte has become high maintenance.
———
That’s absolutely nonsense.
Once Pettitte gets back on the field all of this offseason hoopla is forgotten and things will be back to normal, especially if he pitches well.
We’re not talking about Manny Ramirez. Pettitte has never been anything but an outstanding teammate in that clubhouse.
yeah, i’m feeling pretty excited about the new stadium too. i hope to create more memories there than I was able to at the old stadium. i didn’t make it to old Yankee Stadium for the first time until 2004, but i went about 3 dozen times from that point on until it closed this past season. I saw a few remarkable things, but sadly, no championships.
-I saw the game where Roger Clemens gave up 8 runs in the top of the 2nd inning to the White Sox. Then, Jon Garland gave up 8 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. I felt like I had bi-polar disorder at the end of the inning.
-I saw 4 different walk-off wins. One in 2005, a walkoff single by Jason Giambi to beat the Mets, which was great because I was sitting near a group of mets fans in the left field bleachers who were being really obnoxious (i know, i was shocked too) and it shut them right up. One in 2006, against the Braves, A-rod hit a walk off homerun off the flagpole. One in 2007, Jeter beat the Orioles on a walk-off bloop single in the 12th inning. And finally in 2008, i don’t remember as well because I turned 21 in 2008 so i was enjoying the perks of that at the game, but i remember it was a game Andy Pettitte started and didn’t do well, it went to the 13th inning or so, and someone hit a walkoff single…
-I was at A-rod’s 500th homerun game. I sat in the right field bleachers, and when he hit it, everyone was frozen, holding their breaths and watching, and i couldn’t see where the ball was. I only knew he did it when everyone went absolutely insane. I put that ticket behind the glass in a framed photo I have of A-rod’s first Yankees hit.
-And the only other real distinctive Yankee Stadium moment that I was in attendance for was their final post-season win at the Stadium, game 3 of the 07 ALDS… It was great though. It was my first, and so far only playoff game. Clemens started and got hurt so he had to leave, and that’s the last time he pitched. Then Phil Hughes came in and was outstanding in relief. Johnny Damon hit a 3 run bomb to put the Yankees ahead, and I got chills with everyone chanting “JOHN-NY DAM-ON!” And the Yankees won the game to keep hope alive. It was a good experience for my first playoff game. Sadly they were eliminated the following day, but I can say that I was there for the last time they ever won a playoff game in the Stadium.
“I am going to “assume” that IF there are any trials, they will not take place in 2009.”
Ah, but the Yankees may not “assume” the same thing since they are the ones who want to be sure they field a winning team. And you cannot make any assumption about trial dates safely. You just can’t.
It isn’t rocket science to figure out that Andy’s leverage has really weakened since the Yankees didn’t roll over for his $16 mil demand. Nor does it appear they moved in an upward direction from their $10 mil offer – IF IT IS EVEN STILL ON THE TABLE. Now with the Clemens debacle, well Andy’s real estate went down even more.
As they say in legal circles, I’ve much rather have the Yankees case than Andy’s.
Randy 1 – recently, I was glancing through an article which listed many stats from the “aughts” (2000-2008). The pitcher with the most innings (over 2000 IP, I believe) for that time period is …….. Livan Hernandez.
I recall him having better stuff in 2000, but Livan keeps bringing whatever he has out to the mound …. sort of an MLB Evander Hollyfield.
Of course, unlike Hollyfield, Livan can still duck (line drives).
FACT- Andy stated he wanted to pitch for the Yankees, he wanted to pitch in the New Yankee Stadium.
Heck I guess 10 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Who can blame him.
If Andy comes back, so be it. If he doesn’t, so be it. The world will continue to spin and the Yankees will utilize other pitchers. For rational and objective posters, this really isn’t the end of the world no matter which way it goes.
“That’s absolutely nonsense.”
i guess you’ve got your definition of high maintenance and i’ve got mine. pettitte is starting to make a career of being torn between two things. do peds or don’t do peds? go out with the guys or go home at night? sin or not sin? pitch or not pitch? lie or not lie? sign or not sign?
sometimes you just have to make a decison for someone else when they won’t. i think that’s what cashman did when he took the ten million dollar offer to pettitte.
this isn’t that complicated.
“FACT- Andy stated he wanted to pitch for the Yankees, he wanted to pitch in the New Yankee Stadium.
Heck I guess 10 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Who can blame him.”
jen, I keep reading that Andy said it wasn’t about the money since he has more than he’ll ever need and that his main objective was to pitch at the new stadium. Did I get that wrong? If I got it right, I’d say someone has some ‘splainin to do since he didn’t sign on the dotted line when he was offered a contract.
Yes?
randy 1 -
Yep.
trisha – CC and AJ and Sheets – OH MY!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:31 am
***For rational and objective posters***
————————————————————
A rather bizarre choice of words, comng from you. You’re neither of them.
I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that in Andy’s mind they kinda, sorta had a gentleman’s agreement. He’s probably shocked that the Yankees decided to play hardball with him.
Since Andy’s not holding back the team’s progress in free agency, I’m willing to be patient and give Andy the benefit of the doubt. His quagmire doesn’t affect me personally, so I won’t take anything that’s happened personally. In the words of some great poet, “C’est la vie. C’est la vie. Whatever will be, will be.”
“Of course, unlike Hollyfield, Livan can still duck (line drives).”
brian( red sox fan)
livan like that word “duck”. anything that sounds like food gets his attention.
it doesn’t surprise me that hernandez has pitched more innings than anyone else.
he’s a throw back to the days when knowing how to pitch was more important than what the radar gun said.
Wave Your Hat:
“Fact 3: No one on this blog knows how important making the maximum income is to Andy”
I can take a guess…
“Obviously anyone else would say, ‘I’ll go wherever I want to,’ because people want to try to get the most money,” Pettitte said. “But, I mean, I’m not going anywhere, you know what I’m saying? The Yankees know me enough, it’s not like I’m going to hold out. I guess if I had spent all my money or whatever, it might be different. But it’s not about that, really, anymore.”
Maybe Pettitte ran out of money?
Randy,
The part you seem to overlook is that the offseason isn’t the regular season.
When all of this offseason stuff is done, it will be forgotten and everyone can move on.
This won’t effect the team or the players in that clubhouse one iota. Everyone knows this is a business and all that stuff has nothing to do with anything once they get on that field and play ball.
I’m with Guiseppe. This doesn’t even rate on the top 100 of Yankee distractions.
Giuseppe Franco-
maybe you’re right about everything being cool with andy and yankee players once they get on the field, but do you really think anyone does anything with pettitte that they don’t want the whole world to know?
i know i wouldn’t. he reminds me of the kid when i was growing up whose father gave him a quarter every time he told the truth about something he did wrong.
i don’t remember doing much with that kid after that. we did play baseball though, so maybe you’re right about on the field stuff. pro baseball isn’t just the on field stuff though. being a good team mate goes way beyond the field. none of us are in that club house, so none of us really know what his teammates think of him. what are they going to say to the press?
i’m just guessing that pettitte is getting past the point of no return, but i think he is.
“A rather bizarre choice of words, comng from you. You’re neither of them.”
Since you have the tendency to be meanspirited in what you post to people I tend to ignore anything you aim at me. I just don’t find your credibility in terms of just about anything you say to be all that. I think you’re an angry man.
Oh well. That’s life.
And, then, there’s another point of view. Just because Pettitte said that money wasn’t an issue, didn’tmean he was going to pitch at a 40% discount. Had he taken a trip to the DL last August, it’s pretty safe to assume that his numbers would have been much better than they ended up being. What would people be saying if he had taken 2-3 weeks off and finished with a sub 4 ERA and a 17-11 record, but missed 4 starts and NYY misses the playoffs be 5 or 6 games? This is the second time that the Yanks took for granted that Pettite would just wait until they remembered that he was still around. Last time, they waited until December before even making an offer to him, assumming that he wouldn’t go elsewhere.
Pettitte isn’t the only one that the Yanks have done this to, by the way. And, don’t bring up the HGH crap…the stuff wasn’t on any banned lists in 2002 and should never have been included in the Mitchell Comic Book. You can’t start backdating rules.
http://web.yesnetwork.com/news.....038;vkey=7
Oh, randy l. Do you really think that Andy’s a bad teammate? Was Mo a bad teammate when he was courted by other teams? Was Posada a bad teammate when he was ready to go to the Mets unless the Yankees gave the extra year? Was Alex a bad teammate when he opted out and then came back? Causing the team to lose the Texas Rangers’ endowment?
“This won’t effect the team or the players in that clubhouse one iota. Everyone knows this is a business and all that stuff has nothing to do with anything once they get on that field and play ball.”
Which certainly explains Andy saying last year’s hearings were definitely a distraction to him and his season.
Hmmmm. Something doesn’t sound right here.
“I’m with Guiseppe. This doesn’t even rate on the top 100 of Yankee distractions.”
Maybe it’s the lawyer in me but I think a convened federal grand jury concerning a perjury charge in front of Congress and a separate potential defamation trial are pretty big distractions, especially when you know that the main player (Clemens) has dug his heels in and is calling everyone else the liar.
That’s just me.
If the Yankees feel differently then they do.
I guess we’ll know what we know when we know it. And it may be that we never know the real story.
C’est la vie.
maybe you’re right about everything being cool with andy and yankee players once they get on the field, but do you really think anyone does anything with pettitte that they don’t want the whole world to know?
i know i wouldn’t. he reminds me of the kid when i was growing up whose father gave him a quarter every time he told the truth about something he did wrong.
————-
C’mon, you can’t be serious. Is that your way of calling Pettitte a rat because of the Clemens’ fiasco?
Pettitte didn’t call anyone to rat out his buddy or announce it to the world for the hell of it.
He was forced to testify under oath and lying would have subjected him to jail time if he got caught.
How you can make that comparison is beyond me.
trisha – CC and AJ and Sheets – OH MY!
January 21st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
“A rather bizarre choice of words, comng from you. You’re neither of them.”
Since you have the tendency to be meanspirited in what you post to people I tend to ignore anything you aim at me. I just don’t find your credibility in terms of just about anything you say to be all that. I think you’re an angry man.
Oh well. That’s life.
————————————————————
Nothing “mean spirited” about it. You get rather nsty with anybody thatdisagrees with you, and, then can’t understand why yo get called on it. Your faux innocence doesn’t impress me. Just my viewpoint.
I’m not angry, because I have nothing to be angry about. I just don’t think you know what you’re talking about. Things ae going just fine.
“Maybe it’s the lawyer in me but I think a convened federal grand jury concerning a perjury charge in front of Congress and a separate potential defamation trial are pretty big distractions”
This is just flat out stupid.
Andy’s not on trial, he hasn’t done anything. At most he’ll testify to the grand jury for an hour or two. You are making Mt. Everest out of an anthill.
Which certainly explains Andy saying last year’s hearings were definitely a distraction to him and his season.
————
He addressed that stuff the first day he was in camp and it was never an issue again.
Nice try, but not exactly a distraction that effected the team all season.
trisha,
If the Yankees feel that it’ll be a distraction and a problem, then they wouldn’t even be considering Pettitte. For any amount of money.
And the distraction I was referring to is the offseason drama/negotiations that Guiseppe and randy l were talking about.
“You get rather nsty with anybody thatdisagrees with you, and, then can’t understand why yo get called on it.”
Yeah and I call people trolls and clowns. YAWN!
“If the Yankees feel that it’ll be a distraction and a problem, then they wouldn’t even be considering Pettitte. For any amount of money.”
mel, the information about the Clemens indictment came well after the Yankees made their offer.
Nobody knows where anything stands at this point.
To many players $ equals respect. After they get their first big contract, many players probably care more about who else makes 10 or 16 million than if they make 10 or 16 million. The money isn’t personal but what it represents is.
m
“Causing the team to lose the Texas Rangers’ endowment?”
You’re slipping again. Let it go.
Sorry mel. I agree with you that the offseason negotiation drama is minor. The other drama not so minor.
I can’t believe some people need to “come to terms” with a brand new state of the art ballpark. Yankee Stadium was the cathedral of the game but it was old and no longer up to the standards of even an average major league ballpark. Sometimes you must let go of sentiment and go with the times. The Sox have a ballpark that is a giant eyesore wasting away with fans paying the highest per seat ticket prices in baseball. The Yankees saved the Stadium from becoming an eyesore.
Argh. Let’s try this again.
If the Yankees feel that the hearings/trial will be a distraction, they wouldn’t even be considering Andy Pettitte. At all, for any amount of money.
The distraction in my “I’m with Guiseppe” post is the one about the offseason negotiation (“drama” as randy l prefers to call it”).
Randy I, it is obvious that you have a problem with Pettite’s faith. I think you are so stuck on that so you can’t be objective. Being a man of faith myself it is disapointing when someone does something contray to that faith. You need to realise just because he is a man of faith that he still will make mistakes. You have taken the fact that he made a mistake and tried to make him out to be a man without any character. I hope no one judges you that way.
“Maybe it’s the lawyer in me but I think a convened federal grand jury concerning a perjury charge in front of Congress and a separate potential defamation trial are pretty big distractions”
Only if Andy was the one being charged with perjury and defamation but he’s not.
Congress was willing to take a deposition instead of using live testimony from Andy last time. Maybe they were being nice guys or maybe they knew Andy would be a terrible live witness. There’s a shot it’s the latter and his presence at any live proceeding would not be necessary.
a league average pitcher right now & 10 million is a 40 percent discount??
now that is funny.it is only a discount because the yankees overpay all their players.
pettitte would of never gotten his yearly salaries fron any other team in baseball now or in the past.
he has no offers from any team & hasn’t gotten one & said himself that at this point it is not about money,it is either pitching for the yankees or retire,the yankees know me.i guess they don’t know him.
if the yankees wan’t to pay pettitte 16 million a year that is their business,it is not my money but it is also their right to not wan’t him at all.
i hope the yankees sign sheets today so that pettitte retires or plays for less than 10 million because he is not getting 10 million from anyone else.let’s see what he does then.
I’m still trying to figure out exactly what mistakes Andy has made, other than not agreeing real quick to whatever salary the Yanks chose to offer him so that the fans will not get all nervous and upset that he might not be around.
pat,
I still don’t believe him when he said he wanted to be a Yankee all along. If he did, he wouldn’t have opted out. They could’ve worked out a very, very nice extension. Talk about revisionist history.
GreenBeret7
Although you state that you are fine, you have one geezer symptom (beside your anecdotes from 40 years ago) you bang an issue to death. Pettitte issue is all talked out, he is going or staying, yet you keep on harping away, as if you had forgotten your one million previous posts on the exact same points.enough already.
WYH,
Don’t worry about it. 2 of the people that argue against Andy were big Moose fans. Others say he sucked down the stretch and doesn’t deserve even $10M. SJ says it’s just business.
In my eyes, Andy’s still a Yankee until he puts on another uni. I mean that figuratively, not literally. I repeat, I do not have insights that the Yankees don’t.
From reading these posts it appears as if alot of peoples perception of Andy is derived from coments here than actual reality.
It is pretty unbelievable how Andy flat out rejected 10 mil guaranteed after the HGH situation and the Yanks having his back publicly. It just goes to show ya the place were at in baseball where some decent players can’t get a contract offer and players like Andy who were caught cheating want 16 mil.
Vrsce -
Not for nothing, but GB7 is not the only person who’s talking this issue to death. There really is nothing left to be said, and because of that, the conversation devolves into the parties exchanging veiled and not-so-veiled insults at their “opponents.”
Seriously. There is nothing to say about the Pettitte situation that hasn’t already been said.
However, it is a s-l-o-w period, so it’s to be expected. Don’t call only GB7 out on that.
Perception is reality
my reality is simple.i do not blame pettitte for trying to get every penny he can but i do not think he is worth 16 million & would not give it to him.
i also think the yankees should trade for a pitcher & bid farewell to him then watch him play for the pirates for 5 million a year.
“Randy I, it is obvious that you have a problem with Pettite’s faith. I think you are so stuck on that so you can’t be objective.”
have you ever been in pro clubouse and watched the religious hypocrisy ? i have.
i think i’m being pretty objective here.
am i impressed with pettitte’s character?
no. i’m not.( i do like the 200 innings he throws every year though)
am i impressed with jeter’s and rivera’s character. yes i am.
since you are are so good about judging what i think about religion,ill leave it up to you to tell me where that leaves me.
Public perception often matters a lot more than actual reality.
I just get the impression you are judging Andy harder because of his faith thats all. Have you been in the clubhouse to see his character?
Randy L
“maybe you’re right about everything being cool with andy and yankee players once they get on the field, but do you really think anyone does anything with pettitte that they don’t want the whole world to know?”
It’s hard to say someone is a snitch because they told the truth under oath in front of the Senate.
Anyone who wouldn’t do the same thing obviously doesn’t fully understand the repercussions of lying under oath.
Mike R
So Andy’s lies were OK because he finally told the truth under oath. While Rocket has apparently lied while under oath so he is a far worse person? Or perhaps they are kind of alike, at least when it comes to cheating, and Andy is only 1/2 the liar that Clemens is?
MaineYankee,
Pshaw. Andy’s nothing compared to Kurt Warner.
Not to talk religion because it’s taboo, but religious people sometimes give the perception that they’re, you know, really really good people. So when they break a law or do something bad, it appears that they’re hypocritical. Now I’m not saying that’s right, but they really put it out there so it happens.
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good hate. Pettitte took less money to go to Houston in 2004.
I dont remember it that way. I remember the Yankees ignoring him, him feeling unwanted, and leaving for houston.
maine yankee-
maybe off topic, but are you a moved to maine yankee or born in maine yankee ?
let me know that and it’ll be easier to answer you.
Im tired of this daily Pettitte talk. Lets talk about something else for a change.
What was the best baseball team ever assembled?
98 Yanks
Big Red Machine of the 70′s
27 Yanks
etc.
good idea.
98 Yankees were the best team I have ever seen.
born in Maine Yankee
S.o.S.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Im tired of this daily Pettitte talk. Lets talk about something else for a change.
What was the best baseball team ever assembled?
98 Yanks
Big Red Machine of the 70’s
27 Yanks
etc.
————————————————————
The Little Red wagon of the ’70s didn’t have the pitching to play against the Yanke teams of ’27, ’36-38, ’56, ’61 or ’98 Yankees. Those are the teams to look at. Even the ’98 Yankees had pitchig flaws.
Vrsce,
“So Andy’s lies were OK because he finally told the truth under oath. While Rocket has apparently lied while under oath so he is a far worse person? Or perhaps they are kind of alike, at least when it comes to cheating, and Andy is only 1/2 the liar that Clemens is?”
What did Andy lie about? Taking HGH isn’t lying, or dishonest.
Andy taking HGH was a lapse of good judgment. Honest people still make mistakes, as hard as that is to believe.
When Andy was confronted, being the honest person that he is, he fessed up and admitted his mistake.
I’ll agree Andy could have handled the HGH situation better, I just don’t understand the character assination.
GB7,
Being that you were in attendence for the 27 Yanks and later. Who would be your pick?
“Public perception often matters a lot more than actual reality.”
quote of the day
Mike R
See below from the Village Voice by Alex Barra Feb/08
Pettitte admitted that his father injected him with HGH in 2004. (And surely the most bizarre single piece of evidence to emerge during the entire hearing process is that Pettitte’s dad stuck a needle in his son’s ass.) In admitting this, Pettitte was in effect also admitting that he had lied to the Mitchell Commission—and thus to Major League Baseball—about the extent of his drug use.
Moreover, Pettitte was admitting to a crime. Though HGH wasn’t banned from baseball under the Basic Agreement existing at the time—it wouldn’t be added to the list of prohibited substances until 2005—it was and remains illegal unless prescribed for one of three rare diseases.
I’ll agree Andy could have handled the HGH situation better, I just don’t understand the character assination.
The character assassination is more to do with the comments he made about playing for the Yankees or retiring, turning down $10M, faking other deals and bringing up boston to get the yankees attention. The HGH issue is sort of coming up because of the frustration over his greed and comments that he clearly didnt mean.
And 1998 Yankees! Everything went right for them that year.
If one got hurt, another stepped in better.
Perfect games while being drunk.
a man going from .203 to .300 19hr 98 rbi.
Even that moron Knoblauch Sax came through sometimes.
Tino, Bernie, Paulie
Shane Spencer coming up with 3 Slams in September.
Magical Season.
Yes the Petitte topic has been beaten to death. If you look over at my blog I have started a Joba chat. Everyone check it out and chime in on what you think of how he will respond after the DUI as well as above on this blog. Thanks to Peter for giving me the idea.
“If the Yankees feel that the hearings/trial will be a distraction, they wouldn’t even be considering Andy Pettitte. At all, for any amount of money.”
mel- let’s try this again:
THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GRAND JURY CONVENING DIDN’T HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER THE INITIAL OFFER WAS MADE.
So maybe at this point they aren’t considering Andy Pettitte. At all, for any amount of money.
S.o.S.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
GB7,
Being that you were in attendence for the 27 Yanks and later. Who would be your pick?
————————————————————
Well, at least you didn’t assume that I was playing third base at Elysian Fields in Hoboken in 1839 for the first baseball game, so, I’ll answer.
Seriously, it’s difficult for me to say, because I can only see the numbers, but, those ’36-’38 teams would be tough to beat. Still, I have to pick the ’27 or ’61 Yankees. Those teams had everything.
maine yankee-
good to hear that. the born in skowhegan yankee in me appreciates that. talking about character is a slippery slope. i’m not saying i know exactly what pettitte’s character is: i’m just saying what i know about him doesn’t impress me . it’s as you say just my opinion, but it’s the only one i’ve got.
i am saying as a public realations matter, pettitte has created an appearance of having a lot of nerve considering the ped scandal that he went through. i think he’d be wise to just take the 10 million and move on.
it’s funny how people think maine is a red sox state. my father who’s 87 and tells stories of riding from the family farm in farmington to yankee stadium in the back of his older brother’s pickup to see ruth, gehrig,lazzeri, dimaggio ,etc. there was no maine turnpike so that was a trek. but all 12 kids were yankee fans, and that’s what was passed on to me.
to this day , my father doesn’t miss a game.
Which team performs best in Strat O Matic universe?
“Only if Andy was the one being charged with perjury and defamation but he’s not.
Congress was willing to take a deposition instead of using live testimony from Andy last time. Maybe they were being nice guys or maybe they knew Andy would be a terrible live witness. There’s a shot it’s the latter and his presence at any live proceeding would not be necessary.”
That was Congress. This is a grand jury. A federal grand jury. And if a trial ensues there is no way Pettitte would be excused from attending since his testimony is central to the issue of Clemens’ perjuring himself.
Anyway we’ll see how it sifts out.
I’m giving my opinion on the legal end. Nothing more than an opinion based on how I have seen the legal system, federal grand juries, and federal trials work.
But nobody knows what is going on with any of it right now – or at least I don’t think we know. Others may.
GB,
Does it somehow make it better that he left the prospect of spending his entire career on the yanks for houston supposedly because he felt disrespected about the money the yanks did not offer him and being placed on the backburner but he took less money when signing with the stros? This time, he claims he does not care about the money and that all he wants to do is play in NY and pitch at the new stadium. Then, he can’t sign for 10 million because he once again feels disrespected even though that could make him one of the highest payed fourth starters in the game. All of this so far is understandable – we cannot single out andy when all every player ever wants is the money it seems. However, to now turn around and say he willl play for the astros again for less money than the yanks original 10 mil offer would be the equivalent of doing anything he can to avoid playing in NY. I dont buy any of this but certainly, if this were true it would be unacceptable and he might as well stab the team in the heart and flip off the fans if he were to sign with houston for less than the yanks offer.
“Still, I have to pick the ‘27 or ‘61 Yankees. Those teams had everything.”
gb7-
i’m going with mantle and maris, but i’ll ask my father who watched watched both of them in person at yankee stadium.
that’ll actually be a very nice topic of conversation the next time i talk with him. he always has some interesting insights. the funniest things he does though is the nicknames he has for the red sox players. “useless” is my favorite. he cracks up red sox friends here on the cape when he visits and does his “useless” batting impersonation of youkillis.
i think surprisingly he’s going to go with 1961, but we’ll see.
*What did Andy lie about? Taking HGH isn’t lying, or dishonest.*
Secretly taking human growth hormone with the intent of gaining an edge over your opponent is a dishonest move.
Dishonorable, of course.
*Andy taking HGH was a lapse of good judgment. Honest people still make mistakes, as hard as that is to believe.*
It’s only a mistake when you get outed in the national press and you try to save face. Trying to get away with cheating is not a mistake. Dishonesty is not a thing honest people are known for, unless you’re an honest guy who makes this kind of “mistake.” lol
*When Andy was confronted, being the honest person that he is, he fessed up and admitted his mistake.*
When Andy was -caught- confronted he fessed up… about 6 years later, but hey, being such an honorable guy takes up a lot of your schedule so he didn’t get around to it until some guy named George Mitchell conveniently created a situation that allowed Andy to finally admit to what he was dying to admit the whole time. But, he was busy. And he’s grateful that the Mitchell Report came out and finally allowed him the time from his busy schedule of honesty to admit his mistake, lapse in judgment, act of less than honorable character, or whatever you want to call it.
randy l
January 21st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
“Still, I have to pick the ‘27 or ‘61 Yankees. Those teams had everything.”
gb7-
i’m going with mantle and maris, but i’ll ask my father who watched watched both of them in person at yankee stadium.
that’ll actually be a very nice topic of conversation the next time i talk with him. he always has some interesting insights. the funniest things he does though is the nicknames he has for the red sox players. “useless” is my favorite. he cracks up red sox friends here on the cape when he visits and does his “useless” batting impersonation of youkillis.
i think surprisingly he’s going to go with 1961, but we’ll see.
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It’s such a pity to not have full games of the teams and players from back then….to really get a pespective on just how great some of them were. You can read numbers and first hand accounts, but, seeing them is the key. That’s why I alwayshesitate to judge players/teams thatI don’t have enough video to see. I go only back to the ’55 and 56 seasons, when we got our first TV and I remember th games being televised. The area I grew up in only got the “Game Of The Week”, the Tigers, Cubs, White Sox and on occasion the Braves in Milwaukee. That still gave me a decent perspective on a lot of players. I’ve got to go with the ’61 yanks of teams I’ve seen, though. Six pitchers with 10 or more wins, 6 players with 20 or more homers, great defense…hard to pick against that.
My grandfather was a huge baseball fan, and played semi-pro ball for the mine teams around Terre Haute, Indiana and played ball with Tommy John’s father, so he took me to a lot of games in thoe cities and Cleveland. He had become friends of Johnny Beradino, who was a shortstop for the Browns and Indians for about 12 years, and they kept in touch over the years. He about stroked out the first time my grandmother turned on General Hospital one day and Johnny Beradino was playing Dr. Steve Hardy.
gb 7-
the old braves team in milwaukee with aaron, mathews adcock, spahn, burdette was pretty good too.
i’ve got an adcock bat in my closet that is about 38″ long and about 35 ounces. i use it for an exercise bat. i have no idea how he hit for power with that war club.
It is not a frickin cathedral!
Why do you say that Tommy, are you a bitter Mets fan or something. It is a baseball cathedral.
Nice post. This stadium might be the best one ever built.
Thank you sean, did you check out my site?? yeah i think it probably will be, im hoping to do some live blogging from there hopefully during the exhibition games.