Pregame notes: “I love my family — all my family”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Jun 03, 2011 
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Alex Rodriguez offered neither apology nor denial this afternoon. His cousin Yuri Sucart was with Rodriguez in California this week, and Rodriguez said he has no plans of cutting ties with his controversial relative.
“There are no rules that are being broken,” Rodriguez said. “He stays at his own place. The team is fully aware. He’s not on the team bus, not on the team plane, not in the clubhouse, not at the stadiums. We’re compliant with all the rules. One thing I learned a few years ago were my responsibilities, and they’re very clear… He’s been with me since I was born and I love him very much. He’ll be around for many, many years – well after I’m done playing baseball.”
Rodriguez said neither the league nor the team contacted him to discuss Sucart’s presence this weekend. Joe Girardi said he had no problem with the two still spending time together, even after Rodriguez admitted that Sucart helped him acquire performance-enhancing drugs several years ago.
“I just thought, well, his cousin showed up,” Girardi said. “I know there’s history there, and I think it’s important as people that we don’t turn our back on family. We’ve all had family members — or it could have even been us — that have done things that haven’t necessarily been the right thing to do, but I don’t think you turn your back on family. And I really didn’t think much of it.”
Rodriguez didn’t go into many detail about his current relationship with his cousin, except to say that Sucart works for him and the two watched the NBA Finals together this week. Any concern that continued association makes it more difficult to put the steroid story behind him?
“There’s nothing popping up,” Rodriguez said. “My mom is coming in next week, my daughter is coming in in a couple weeks. I’m not really concerned. I’m really crystal clear on my responsibilities, both with this team and personally. I love my family — all my family — very much, and I’m very good with where I stand today.”
Here’s Rodriguez.
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• The Yankees must have gotten some good news on Eric Chavez. Girardi said it’s possible Chavez could begin baseball activities next week. “We’ll have to evaluate him when we get home on Tuesday,” Girardi said. “But hopefully we can start doing some BP and maybe throwing and maybe even taking some ground balls.”
• Speaking of injured players on their way back, Phil Hughes is still on schedule to face hitters tomorrow. He’ll go through a normal pregame warmup, then throw essentially one simulated inning. Girardi said he wasn’t sure exactly how many pitches Hughes would be allowed to throw.
• Girardi said he will not announce his rotation for the upcoming Red Sox series until after this weekend series against the Angels.
• Speaking of rotation decisions: The Angels have decided to skip Dan Haren tomorrow. Haren felt some lower-back stiffness during a bullpen on Wednesday.
• Girardi on today’s Angels starter, Jered Weaver: “He’s right up there. He’s got deception because of his windup. I think he hides the ball really well. Look at his hits per innings, he’s given up 60 hits in 80 innings or whatever, and he’s a strikeout guy and he doesn’t walk people. He’s not going to beat himself, and he fields his position, so he’s tough.”
• Girardi said that by the end of the Oakland series, he felt like he needed to have some of his relievers throw just to get work. That’s why Boone Logan got loose in the ninth inning on Wednesday.
• This is the eight-year anniversary of Derek Jeter being named Captain. “There’s an expectation when you play with Derek to win every day,” Girardi said. “And he does a lot of his work by just example. He’s going to talk to guys one-on-one, but you know that when you come into a clubhouse that Derek’s in, there’s the expectation that we need to win every day, and I think that’s the way he plays the game.”
Associated Press photos
Good for Alex…………..
When David Ortiz finds out who got him steroids will he bring them on road trips?
Alex seems very comfortable these days…..I love it
Alex answer those questions nicely………..good for him.
Papi: “I love my blender — all my blenders.”
Ninja Blender is a quality appliance.
Alex and Cameron ave split up, according to the Daily News….I wonder who’s next??
Alex and Cameron ave split up, according to the Daily News….I wonder who’s next??
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He was at his best with Kate.
“Nick in SF says:
June 3, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Papi: “I love my blender — all my blenders”
This is too funny.
Nick
Getting Chavez and Hughes back, is a big boost for this team.
Crawford looks really silly on “wall ball double”
I need to see Chavez, and especially Hughes, be effective, before I get too excited. One has been Mr. Brittle, and the other now admits that he had shoulder pain when we were told there was none. So although I am an optimist, I’m also a realist.
“Alex and Cameron ave split up, according to the Daily News…”
The kiss and make up story will be next because they are still together.
Good for ARod. I thought they denied breakup rumor?
Happy anniversary el capitan
Hughes admitted shoulder pain?
That may be better off than a no reason lack of velocity..
Rich, I’m sure Chavez will be fine, but with Hughes, I agree. You never know with arm injuries (and why he decided it was ok to try and pitch through pain is beyond me). Even if he’s healthy, I’m skeptical.
“Alex and Cameron ave split up, according to the Daily News….I wonder who’s next??”
Brangelina?
Even if he’s healthy, I’m skeptical.
======================
Look who’s back.
YF
I just got home so I didn’t see the Buch. error. Which is too bad because I really enjoy seeing the Sox make error’s.
Rich
I didn’t know that about Hughes. I Have been real busy and have not had a chance to stay on top of things. But even so- if those two can come back, and whatever they can contribute, will be a bonus.
Rich, I’m sure Chavez will be fine,
====================
As fine as Nick Johnson.
Betsy
How can you be sure?
I’m actually more optimistic about Hughes.
Tar
No doubt.
Chavez has played in 81 games the last 4 seasons, can’t really expect anything out of him.
Rich, ok, then let’s just say I’m not negative about Chavez. As to Hughes, I’d rather see him stay in AAA and work on things, but that’s not going to happen. If he’s healthy, I’d expect him to pitch as well or as badly as he did in the 2nd half last year.
The A’s have a pitcher Outman, I guess that is better than BallFour.
Chavez has played in 81 games the last 4 seasons”
He is due to break that streak.
Well…. maybe break wasn’t a good way to put it.
All pitchers pitch with some degree of pain at times….it’s not always easy to tell if you’re just sore or injured. I don’t know if this was the case with Hughes or not but it’s possible.
Blake, I get that, but it still boggles the mind that he could have taken such a chance with his career, which is all tied up in his right arm. I hope for his sake that this is a blip because while his other injuries were flukey, this was an arm injury and so it’s a lot more serious even though it appears it’s just inflammation.
Betsy June 3rd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Rich, ok, then let’s just say I’m not negative about Chavez. As to Hughes, I’d rather see him stay in AAA and work on things, but that’s not going to happen. If he’s healthy, I’d expect him to pitch as well or as badly as he did in the 2nd half last year.
**********
You “expect him to pitch as well or as badly as he did in the 2nd half last year” – based on what? Why would you say that when you have no idea what he is going to do. What are you basing that on?
Laptop’s ERA is inching towards 4.
It’s the pain in combination with a significant loss of velo that concerned me about Hughes, but he’s 9 years younger than Chavez, and has played regularly for two consecutive years, unlike Chavez.
hmm silly
“You “expect him to pitch as well or as badly as he did in the 2nd half last year” – based on what? Why would you say that when you have no idea what he is going to do. What are you basing that on?”
WFT are you talking about?
Maybe Alex hooks up with Jennifer Anniston? I mean, she’s just about dated every other guy on the face of the Earth….
Rich am I talking to you?
I’ve never dated Jennifer Anniston
Ooops, my bad, WC.
When I look at Hughes’s second half, it initially looks bad-13 starts, 6-6 with a 4.90 ERA.
But when you look at the game logs you see that he had 9 starts where he gave up 3 runs or less. It’s really 3 games that made his second half look bad-6 runs against the Angles, and 11 runs in two starts vs the Jays. He did have one other start where he gave up for runs, but still. He had 3 awful games.
Arod should try to date Jennifer Aniston.
WC:
I see you are finally done ?………..:wink:
If Hughes’ ‘dead arm’ was his issue the second half of last then he has nowhere to go but up when he returns from the DL.
If I had A-Rod’s fame/money (and was his age), I would pursue Bar Refaeli.
It never fails Vineyard, clients calling mid-day Friday in a panic about something or other. I was going to go tonight but rush hour traffic to Anaheim from the beach didn’t exactly appeal to me. Probably go see Sabathia tomorrow or Colon Sunday.