Girardi: “Rest and relax, and then get back to work”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jun 02, 2011 
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My sister lives just outside Berkeley, and Marc Carig’s family lives all around Oakland. When Phil Hughes heard that two of the Yankees beat writers were spending today’s off day in the Bay Area rather than flying immediately to Southern California, he was positively appalled.
The Yankees have earned the right to enjoy a day off. A few guys have found a place to go fishing, Hughes has his niece’s birthday party and Nick Swisher gets to see his house again. There are certainly worse places to spend an off day, and there are much worse ways to lead into an off day.
The Yankees have won four in a row for the first time this season, they just swept a three-game series by beating three of the best young pitchers in baseball and they’re back in first place with a two-game cushion.
“We’re definitely having fun,” A.J. Burnett said. “In the dugout. In here (in the clubhouse). On the plane. We’re starting to get where we need to be. We’re a winning team.”
Since that six-game losing streak, the Yankees have won 11 of 15. This road trip started with two one-run losses. Had those two gone the other way, the Yankees would have to be considered the hottest team in the American League (maybe the hottest in baseball depending on how you’d compare them against the Diamondbacks). The formula has been simple: Good starting pitching, reliable back end of the bullpen and some situational hitting mixed with the Yankees typical home run power.
“We lost those two tough games in Seattle, and I think that really ate at us,” Swisher said. “For us to come back and show the fight and tenacity that we did (in Oakland), that’s the Yankee team that I know. That’s what we want to continue to keep doing.”
The Yankees get right back at it tomorrow against the Angels. The pitching matchup doesn’t get any easier. Jered Weaver has the start for Los Angeles.
“The guys feel good about themselves,” Joe Girardi said. “They can enjoy themselves (today) and rest and relax, and then get back to work on Friday.”
Associated Press photo
Chad-
Does this story,from NY Daily news reporters Feinsand and Red, about Yuri Sucart[ drug supplier] hanging around A-Rod, have any validity?
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo....._trip.html
With those close losses earlier on the road trip, it’s nice to see that the team is two games in front in the division and has the second best record in the league. It’s easy to think about how strong their record would be if they could have pulled out a few of those games, but really, it’s nice to see that they are heating up offensively and could get some help from the likes of Hughes and Soriano later in the season.
Oh, and their bench is finally playing a role and doing a nice job of it – a much more dynamic team when the manager can make swaps in a game and give guys some rest on occasion!
This is normally the month where Tex starts a 2 month tear…he may be putting up some monstrous numbers this year…
I hope the Yuri Sucart story is not correlated with the fact that A-Rod came into the season looking younger and fitter than he has in recent years. But I feel bad for Sucart at the same time (couldn’t A-Rob slip him some bucks without him having to travel with the team?).
If Yuri is around again it would be off-the-charts stupidity on Alex’ part.
Send the man some $$$, but you can’t be hanging with the guy who is going to remind everyone about the PED situation.
Since he’s being tested and has not tested positive since 2004 I see no reason to be concerned about that.
Enjoy your day off Chad.
Yankee Trader June 2nd, 2011 at 9:10 am
Chad-
Does this story,from NY Daily news reporters Feinsand and Red, about Yuri Sucart[ drug supplier] hanging around A-Rod, have any validity?
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo….._trip.html
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Perhaps he is providing Viagra at Cameron’s request?
86w183 June 2nd, 2011 at 9:17 am
Since he?s being tested and has not tested positive since 2004 I see no reason to be concerned about that.
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agreed.
Definitely not the best move to have him hanging around again though.
In the picture taken of Sucart in the article, is it possible that Bartolo Colon, sporting a fake moustache, is the one that has been spotted?
Agree with all of you. Slip him a few $$$ to stay away!!
If Daisuke Matsuzaka has to have Tommy John surgery odds are he’s done til 2013.
If that’s the case, Boston will have spent $ 103 M for 49 wins.
AJ has 29 wins roughly $ 39 M into his contract. So at his current rate of productivity he’ll be the better investment.
Yankee Trader June 2nd, 2011 at 9:23 am
In the picture taken of Sucart in the article, is it possible that Bartolo Colon, sporting a fake moustache, is the one that has been spotted?
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That’ll teach Bartolo from going incognito.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....henomenon/
Coddling pro athletes is not how you keep them healthy.
Don’t forget the Igawa contact.
Yankee Trader June 2nd, 2011 at 9:23 am
In the picture taken of Sucart in the article, is it possible that Bartolo Colon, sporting a fake moustache, is the one that has been spotted?
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OK who would have thought w/ the season 1/3 thru that the Cleveland Indians would have the best record in the AL, that Grandy would have the most HR against lefties and that Correia of the Pirates would have a MLB leading 8 wins!!!
if you have twitter follow ‘cantpredictball’….for stats like that all the time, its awsome
PacoDooley – thanks for the link to the Passan article (last thread). Unfortunately, the IT police keep me from being able to open it. I don’t follow the Red Sox all that closely, so I’m not up to date on this sort of info. Obviously, wear and tear, and not keeping up with conditioning can exacerbate anything. Sounds like this was a marriage not made in Heaven……
Akin to what some of us where saying, the other evening, about Cliff Lee going to the Phils not NY and maybe things actually working out for the best……given Dice’s ML career, maybe it was fortunate that Theo made that outlandish offer to keep such a “can’t miss” guy away from the “Evil Empire”.
Sometimes, as you go down the road, things work out……
Does Alex really need to bring this distraction back again?
Drugs or not, this guy was banned from being around the team.
The ban on Sucart extends only to team facilities, the clubhouse, etc., and he has not been seen in any of those places. There is no ban on him being at the team?s hotel, where the Daily News spotted him.
http://tiny.cc/0b26x
I have a feeling the ban will soon be more extensive.
MLB only has the right to ban him from stadiums and minor league/team facilities. He is allowed to go on road trips, stay in hotels and clean a-rods shoes… It’s not a big deal… lets not mistake the source of a-rods drug problem with the man who was “blamed” for providing it.
This business about Alex’ cousin may be totally innocent. Alex said he worked out more, did more conditioning to lose some weight, rather than rehab, as he had been cleared by Dr. Phillipon. Plus, Alex would have to be pretty dumb to try PEDs again.
However, perception being what it is, letting this guy be seen anywhere near Alex and the team is also pretty dumb. If this guy was staying at the same hotel, can’t believe the Yanks didn’t know about it. Maybe not Cash, but somebody. Somebody who may not be working for the team for much longer.
Erin June 2nd, 2011 at 9:57 am
The ban on Sucart extends only to team facilities, the clubhouse, etc., and he has not been seen in any of those places. There is no ban on him being at the team?s hotel, where the Daily News spotted him.
http://tiny.cc/0b26x
I have a feeling the ban will soon be more extensive.
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How can Baseball mandate one to stay away from family outside of major league properties? I don’t think they can.
Let’s be honest, the cousin was the scapegoat, but the cause of Arod taking PEDs was Arod not him.
ID – on purely right-and-wrong grounds, you’re right, of course. Still, perception tends to rule the day. If that’s truly the case, the Yanks need to make a strong statement to that effect, I think.
Someone call Dean Wormer — it’s time to put Alex on double secret probation.
This is a free country and MLB can’t legislate somebody from staying at a hotel.
BoJo June 2nd, 2011 at 10:02 am
How can Baseball mandate one to stay away from family outside of major league properties? I don?t think they can.
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you’re right-my bad.
Off day steroid talk…..yuck.
Has baseball told Ortiz to stay away from Shake Shack?
Alex should have said at his press conference that he had no idea what happened and that he’d “get back to y’all” when he got to the bottom of it. Hey that seemed to work better than anything ……..just ask Papi.
What a dumb story by Feinsand et al. As noted above, MLB can’t ban him from a team hotel. ARod is getting tested constantly. Total innuendo. What is the purpose of the article?
Kind of like this: “Mark Feinsand of the Daily News spotted at Fenway Park. Looks like he’s really a homer for the Red Sox, some sort of spy.”
Ridiculous.
“Perception tends to rule the day,” as stated above–that is exactly what is wrong with us as a society.
“Coddling pro athletes is not how you keep them healthy.”
Nolan Ryan agrees
Whether it’s Northern or Southern California – it’s a great place to spend an off day. America’s gem.
“Has baseball told Ortiz to stay away from Shake Shack?”
No because Ortiz’s investigation as to how he tested positive is still ongoing.
blake June 2nd, 2011 at 10:11 am
Alex should have said at his press conference that he had no idea what happened and that he?d ?get back to y?all? when he got to the bottom of it. Hey that seemed to work better than anything ??..just ask Papi.
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LOL
Speaking of steroid investigations, in a bit of poetic justice, George Mitchell got part of what he richly deserves.
The Israelis (and the Palestinians) likely told him to take a hike, and he quit as Mideast envoy in disgust and failure.
Bud Selig and MLB could have taken a lesson from the Israelis on how to deal with that corrupt clown.
True no one can tell family to stay away from the players, but Alex used him as the steroid scapegoat, so he just needs to exercise a little more common sense and know people are always out to bring him down, and to not make it easier for them.
A slow day and lack of Baseball News has left Sucart as the discussion point ? Does it really matter that ARod pays his way and he stays away from Team facilities and functions ?
Vineyard Yankee June 2nd, 2011 at 10:20 am
A slow day and lack of Baseball News has left Sucart as the discussion point ?
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So you picked up on it too.
Pittsburgh – brilliant, not.
Vineyard Yankee June 2nd, 2011 at 10:20 am
A slow day and lack of Baseball News has left Sucart as the discussion point ? Does it really matter that ARod pays his way and he stays away from Team facilities and functions ?
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Yeah, I’m already tired of this topic. lol
So lets get it back to baseball.
When is Eric Chavez coming back?
Against All Odds June 2nd, 2011 at 10:22 am
Like getting out of bed and stubbing my toe.
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Erin June 2nd, 2011 at 10:28 am
Are those checks starting to show up in your mailbox yet ?
Vineyard Yankee- sadly, no.
ac1 June 2nd, 2011 at 10:39 am
Apparently sometime between now and June 15th. (foot bone bruise)
Erin:
I noticed you have been doing an awesome job. I will followup on my letter that I sent to the publisher.
Vineyard Yankee June 2nd, 2011 at 10:45 am
Erin:
I noticed you have been doing an awesome job. I will followup on my letter that I sent to the publisher.
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awww…thank you
I won’t get my hopes up on getting those checks though. LOL
While this Arod cousin thing is probably much ado about nothing, Arod is a moron for dragging this guy around the country with him after turning him into the “drug mule” pariah when he got caught.
Stuff like this makes me seriously question what is in between Arod’s ears.
AmyKNelson Rob Manfred tells ESPN.com that MLB assured by Yanks that Arod cousin ban in team/mlb-controlled areas was not violated. http://es.pn/kLEzao
what a nonstory.
Vineyard – did you make it to both games in Oakland? You brought them good luck!
Erin:
That’s a good thing not to get your hopes up, so when the checks start to roll in it will be a huge nice surprise !
Keep up the good work.
I order Arod to defriend his cousin on facebook…..that’ll show Uhm that he’s clean.
And now for something completely different: a very cool wedding proposal @Kauffman Stadium:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011.....-k-is.html
From the ESPN article by Amy Nelson –
Yuri was a mule, not a guy who would initiate anything,” a friend once close to Rodriguez told ESPN.com in 2009. “He did what Alex told him to. He was only looking out for Alex. He is not a guy who would take the initiative to go out and buy drugs. Alex said during the press conference that his cousin just did what was asked — that is perfect for Yuri’s M.O. He is a person who would be with him forever, a loyal guy without a bad bone in his body.”
It could all be totally innocent. Alex just giving a job as a gopher to a family member who’s down on his luck, no other livlihood. But, in our society, if someone wants to make an issue of something…….That, and it’s an off day.
WC:
Went to the two day games and helped break the AJ road winless streak yesterday. So many empty seats yesterday, perhaps the early morning rains scared people away.
Vineyard Yankee June 2nd, 2011 at 11:03 am
Erin:
That?s a good thing not to get your hopes up, so when the checks start to roll in it will be a huge nice surprise !
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that would definitely be a nice surprise
blake June 2nd, 2011 at 11:04 am
I order Arod to defriend his cousin on facebook?..that?ll show Uhm that he?s clean.
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hardwired-great story! Thanks for the link
This is better than roid talk
Mac malware myth: http://arstechnica.com/apple/n.....-mouse.ars
New Post: Are the Yankees early all-star results sustainable?
hardwired
much better than the Arod nonsense
sweet story