Pregame notes: Thames out for about two weeks
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Jun 13, 2010 
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Marcus Thames has been dealing with some mild hamstring soreness for a while now. It was playable until yesterday’s double into the left-field corner. “When I first took off, that’s when I felt it,” Thames said.
He felt like he had a chance to cut off the ball, but the hamstring forced him to play it off the wall. When he went popped up later in the game, he couldn’t run to first base.
“I felt like I was running in slow motion,” he said. “I know I’m not that slow.”
Thames has been placed on the disabled list and was told he’ll be shutdown for 10 to 12 days. To fill his spot, the team has called up Chad Huffman from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Huffman was claimed off waivers from the Padres earlier this season. He can play both outfield corners and first base, plus he has some power from the right side. He had a .279 average with five home runs in Triple-A.
Huffman is from the Houston area, and most of his family — mother, father, brother, cousins, uncle — flew to New York at the last minute to be here for his debut. The Scranton team flew from Charlotte to Allentown yesterday morning, then drove from Allentown to Scranton.
“Got about two hours of sleep,” Huffman said. “Got to the field and then (manager Dave) Miley called me into his office as soon as I got there and had some good news… I packed up and drove here as fast as I could.”
• I must admit, I showed up today fully expecting Derek Jeter to be the designated hitter. Joe Girardi had a different idea. “Swish has played every game and every inning in this stretch,” Girardi said. “I thought it would be a way to kind of give him a day and a half off.”
• Girardi said there’s no update on Dave Eiland’s status. “When I have word I’ll give it to you,” Girardi said. “There is no word right now.”
• Jorge Posada will be back behind the plate for the first time since mid-May. “As far as the injury, I don’t really have much (concern) there,” Girardi said. “It’s more the fatigue level.”
• The Yankees will have to monitor how many days Posada catches in a row. “Would be play him three days in a row? More than three days in a row? That was a question,” Girardi said. “That can adjust all the time. He’s going to DH some, but he’s going to catch too. He’s not going to DH everyday. He’s going to catch and we want him to catch because of the flexibility that he gives us, and the experience.”
• For this series finale, the Yankees are once again giving the ball to Phil Hughes, who’s going after his ninth win. “He’s been able to limit damage in innings,” Girardi said. “When he’s not had his best command or his best stuff, he’s still be able to go deep into games for us, just finding a way to get it done. To me, that’s a sign of maturity, and to be a big winner during the course of the season you have to be able to do that.”
UPDATE, 12:25 p.m.: Astros lineup.
Michael Bourn CF
Jeff Keppinger 2B
Hunter Pence RF
Carlos Lee DH
Cory Sullivan LF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Geoff Blum 1B
Tommy Manzella SS
Kevin Cash C
Associated Press photo of Thames.
They tell people to not to use cellphones on airplanes because it could interfere with plane’s electronics. That’s not true. Just a lie. It, however, could wreak havoc on cell networks on the ground.
But hey, telling people that their plane could crash due to cellphone usage is a lot more effective way to enforce the ban.
Similar story with steroid usage…
I think Moeller stays with the Yankees until the interleague games are done on the road.
The HOF has an image and history to uphold. They must honor an American tradition. Just because fans rooted for these admitted cheaters doesn’t change the mission of the HOF. I think people are crazy to think the HOF will allow this dark era in baseball to tarnish or embarrass this game. Pete Rose will never get into the Hall of Fame.
Who did they kick off the 40 for Huffman or did we still have a space from when Winn was DFA’s?
That’s true but just as smoking doesn’t guarantee you lung, oral, or esophageal cancer, it does increase your risk of developing said conditions.
Just the same, steroids increases your risk of developing a number of health conditions.
Huffman was already on the 40 man roster.
Brret,
There are drug addicts and cheaters already in the HOF. Its not heaven. Its a Hall of Fame.
Since nobody can accurate state who cheated and who didn’t, there is a generation of sportswriters who aren’t interested in playing God.
Eventually, they will be the one’s in the majority making the calls as to who gets in and who doesn’t.
Bret,
Your ability to be on the wrong side of most issues continues to amaze. The Hall of Fame is a business and they will end up taking the best players from this “dark era” that you were most likely oblivious to. And they will do it because they need the fans of those players to come to Cooperstown if they want to stay open. They’re not gonna blackball an era. And what’s more, the Hall if already full of alcoholics, crooks, cheaters, drug addicts and PED users. They’ll be hypocritical and sanctimonious for awhile but they’ll take them. As they should.
Huffman was already on the 40-man. He was a waiver claim after a DFA.
sweep them today
Phil the Thrill June 13th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Bret,
Your ability to be on the wrong side of most issues continues to amaze
************
Ok Phil. And we’re getting Halladay, right?
There is still a lot of good baseball conversation on this site…its just become difficult to have it during the game threads.
Since nobody can accurate state who cheated and who didn’t
*******
Are you sure about this?
blake
Will you be here for the game?
They are talking about Robben Island on ESPN for anyone interested.
Incredible history there.
How about in about 10-15 years the hall inducts all of the pereceived users in one class.
They all shamelessly go in at the same time and all have to answer the questions over and over again. Put them in a little corner together and let the public form their own opinions.
How fitting.
A-Rod is getting into the Hall of Fame. So is Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Why?
First, because they were three of the greatest players of all time, inner circle type performers. And second, because a lot of old school, sanctimonious sportswriters who decry the “dark era” of steroids will be phased out of HOF voting.
New school guys like Rob Neyer and Keith Law, who know how to parse real statistics – not just solely RBI and pitching wins – and who realize that it’s impossible to know everyone who was using PEDs during the era ,and will vote accordingly.
Tarheel,
yea, as long as it remains a crazy free zone I’ll be around for most of it probably.
Sure. Do you know of every single person in MLB who has used PED’s? I don’t.
I don’t know anybody who does.
Fact is, if you count greenies, which you should as a PED, its probably fair to say a majority of MLB players have used some form of PED.
Therefore, how do you differentiate who should be in the HOF and who should not?
That’s why the whole, “caretaker of the game” debate is pointless.
perceived, thats what happens when you’re typing while riding a lifecycle
blake
The only chance of that happening is for the Yankees to take an early lead. I will try to stick around myself.
The Trenton game today should be interesting in that John Maine is starting for Binghamton. I could give a little idea about how much hitters like Romine, Laird, brewer and Krum have developed.
if they fall behind 1-0, the panicking children will take over the blog whining about the team and calling for immediate firings and trades.
Just the way the game threads roll these days.
MLB should have shown all of the names on that list from 2003. Right after Ortiz got exposed. I’m sure they didn’t want to do it because plenty of Red Sox players were on that list. I love how MLB drags the Yankees through the mud but the beloved Red Sox can do no wrong.
Good to see Jorge “back”. Good news on Aceves. Too bad about Thames, but I don’t give him much of a thought anyway.
Excited for Huffman. Houston represent.
Yesterday’s game thread was funny. We had a couple of children predict impending doom for the Yankees and Javy. Being convinced the Yankees would “wake up” the Astros.
Javy gives up a solo HR, they are back with “I told you so” posts.
The Yankees take control of the game, and Javy ends up doing his job……..they are gone, not to heard from.
Sad some of these kids could be so clueless about baseball with all of the resources available to them to learn about the game.
SJ44,
Not everyone is as even keeled and mature like yourself. I’m sure people don’t enjoy hearing you give insider knowledge like you work for the Yankees. Remember last year when you said no way the Yanks sit Posada down in the world series and play Molina instead
was it ever possible to have a good conversation during a game thread?
mostly rooting, i would imagine.
the best convos usually come a few hours before a game.
Looks like it’s time to just enjoy the game. The gutless idiots are starting to show up.
# Look at the back of my baseball card June 13th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
SJ44,
Not everyone is as even keeled and mature like yourself. I’m sure people don’t enjoy hearing you give insider knowledge like you work for the Yankees. Remember last year when you said no way the Yanks sit Posada down in the world series and play Molina instead
===========================================
Remember that you don’t always get the real SJ. It is hard sometimes to distinguish but there are some good impersonaters here. Beware of fakes!
SJ
I often wonder where do they go when the Yankees are winning? As soon as the other team scores or god forbid, a Yankee makes a mistake, They come running back to this blog. It’s a sad commentary, if you ask me.
I think we’d all agree that today’s game result will be secondary Phil Hughes average fastball velocity, the break on this curve and the % he uses it, and his ability to keep his ERA within spitting distance of Clay Buchholz’s.
He the Yanks win, that would be nice too.
# Tarheelyank June 13th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
SJ
I often wonder where do they go when the Yankees are winning? As soon as the other team scores or god forbid, a Yankee makes a mistake, They come running back to this blog. It’s a sad commentary, if you ask me.
=======================
Funny how everyone assumes these are youngsters doing this. Many oldtimers are just as guilty as they remember their Yankee past of only winning.
Whatever effect HGH has — whether on athletic performance per se (something I believe nobody has yet proved to be the case), or simply on recovery time from injuries — it isn’t a steroid. I wish people would stop conflating the two.
As for PED’s in general, I agree that A-Rod will eventually be elected, 15 years from now or so, when a new generation of sports writers that isn’t so obsessed with the so-called sanctity of the game (and isn’t so willing to ignore the widespread use of greenies in the ’50′s and ’60′s, if not much later), constitutes the electorate.
Not to mention that unless you buy all the unproven allegations of Selena Roberts, it has yet to be established that A-Rod ever used anything illegal other than in the years with Texas he’s admitted to. How many random drug tests has he passed since then? Many, I suspect.
I don’t think you can keep someone out of the Hall based on speculation. And I don’t think it’s going to happen. If Pettite ends up with the requisite numbers, he’ll be elected too. I see a lot more hostility towards Clemens, but I suspect he’ll get in someday as well, before Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro, or McGuire.
They could also be trolls impersonating Yankee fans. Not gutless idiots as some might say.
Just submitting my prediction for the final score:
5-4, Yanks.
SJ44 knows it all. Don’t you know that?