Pinch hitting: Kerry Fitzpatrick
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 11, 2013 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Our final Pinch Hitter is Kerry Fitzpatrick, a 72-year-old who started following the Yankees while growing up at the Jersey shore during the late 40s. “I listened to games on the radio first,” he wrote. “And then on a small black-and-white TV, listening to Mel Allen talk about Joe, Yogi, Whitey, Casey, Mick and all those other great Yankees of that era. My first game at The House That Ruth Built was on May 30, 1956 (when Memorial Day was always the 30th). It was a doubleheader that the Yanks swept against the Senators, but what was most memorable was that Mickey almost hit one out of the park — the ball hitting the right field facade about 18 inches from the top.”
I challenge you to beat that baseball memory.
Kerry wrote that his interest drifted a little bit in the 60s. He was working in corporate finance, living in Florida and unimpressed by George Steinbrenner’s hands-on approach. It was the decision to hire Joe Torre that brought Kerry back onboard, “just in time for some great teams.”
Now retired, Kerry splits his time between Kentucky and Florida, where he lives 15 minutes from the Yankees spring training home. That background and proximity make him perfect for sending us into these next seven weeks.
—
Play ball!!
How we have all waited over the winter to hear those words again. All the daily speculation about which free agents are of interest to which teams, PEDs and other rumor mongering from the ESPN talking heads is about to take a rear seat to what we most love — baseball games.
As a season ticket holder for Yankees spring training for nine years, I’ve been counting the days. Spring training games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa are like heaven to me. Except for one trip to see what the Trop was like a few years ago (I was not impressed), I haven’t been to a regular or postseason game in decades, but spring training is a month-long stream of pleasure.
Weather in Tampa is perfect in March. Temperatures usually in the 70s, and there’s little rain. As a traditionalist, I think playing on real grass in the day is where our sport belongs. In the 11,000 seat venue, there are no seats requiring binoculars or nose bleed medications. And at $25 a pop, tickets fit what my retiree’s budget wants to spend; which is far less than regular-season tickets.
Opening Day, a day filled with optimism and laughter in every sport, always includes the introduction of former Yankee greats who are special spring training instructors. Bernie, Goose, Louisiana Lightning, Lou and Tino have all been introduced in recent years, and I’ve heard that Jorge will be there this year. Last of the introductions, always drawing the loudest and most prolonged ovation is number 8 — not as nimble as he once was, but even more respected than years ago.
From the start, we get to see the regulars — position players usually for two at bats, and pitchers for about three innings. They will increase their time on the field as the five weeks of spring training games grind through the schedule.
As I’ve long said, the price of admission is worth it just for one half inning. That’s when Mo comes in. Mo doesn’t do road games, so in March, you can only see him in Tampa. He sets his own schedule, and you won’t see him the first couple of weeks. But the last two weeks, you’ll probably see him every other day.
And Mo doesn’t do ninth innings either. The regulars know he’ll come in earlier in the game at the start of inning, they’ll start looking toward the bullpen between innings while the tourist fans are busy going to the concession stands.
The flip side of the regulars leaving the game early is that the guys fighting for roster spots and the top prospects get a lot of opportunities to play, and for many of us in attendance, that is far more interesting than watching the regulars. The younger guys often have trouble dealing with the pressure, particularly the pitchers whose ability to throw strikes can diminish rapidly. David Phelps was pretty impressive last spring and went on to a good first season in the Bronx. Brett Gardner was the best newcomer a few years ago, and I’m sure he will impress and provide a much-needed spark this year. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Gary Sanchez, Slade Heathcott and Tyler Austin in action.
Some years it becomes obvious the last week or so who will make the 25 man roster for Opening Day. Trying to figure it out is one of those great puzzles for many of us. Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman make the final call, but we are all second guessers, aren’t we?
For all those who make it down this spring, may I offer a few tips from an old timer: First, never approach the parking lot from Dale Mabry, regardless of what all the signs say. It’s always backed up. Approach on Himes, on the other side of the big football stadium, and you’ll zip right in. Second, get yourself a press guide for only $20. It’s filled with good stuff, including notes and records on virtually every player in camp and all those in the Yankees system. You’ll use it all year. Last year, the Yanks didn’t put it on sale at the ballpark until the last week of spring training, but other years it’s been earlier.
Play ball!!
Associated Press photos
Nice post Kerry. I’ve only made it to ST once in my life.. I’d love to go again. Maybe I’ll be able to swing it in a few years.
—————————-
jacksquat February 11th, 2013 at 5:06 am
There were a lot more than “concerns” expressed by some this offseason.
Talk about hedging…
—————————–
I’m just not sure what you feel anyone has to prove/gain by ‘hedging’ on a baseball blog.
I’m just not sure what you feel anyone has to prove/gain by ‘hedging’ on a baseball blog.
————–
No no. Hedging is a must! One season I didn’t hedge and my rep took a major hit.
The only hedging regarding the Yankees is Hal’s hedge fund.
It’s nice to see baseball stories in the NY papers. It is almost here.
Is anyone really unconcerned about anything?
Rich,
I’m concerned bout getting through the day.
Tom
There you go…
I need to talk to trisha… can we really wait until after spring training to put our official season predictions in? On one hand, it would be foolish for me to not take the extra time… on the other hand, I like to live on the wild side
I wonder how long Arod will stay in hiding. Will he make an appearance at all at camp? The longer he stays away and stays silent, the worse it looks for him. I just hope this doesn’t create too big a distraction at camp
How can anything look worse for A-Rod? There is nothing he can say that will convince anyone of anything. There will always be more questions, and with an active investigation, he would be a fool to answer them.
I think it was already mentioned he will be down there. I believe Cash said so but I can’t remember 100%. I think Chad posted something about it.
blake says:
February 11, 2013 at 10:01 am
“Talk about hedging”
Anybody that makes a prediction about this team wirhout hedging is setting themselves up for the potential to look pretty foolish…..I could honestly see the 2013 Yankees finishing anywhere from 1st to 5th if a few things go horribly wrong….
Shame,
I give you permission to make your prediciton now. I will wait, gather all available information and then make my wrong forecast.
Things I am excited about for this season.
1) just baseball in general…..I love the game and would love it even if there was no Yankees. So I’m excited in general about spring training and seeing that old ball thrown around again.
2) I’m excited to see the great Jeter and Rivera another season ….we are getting to the point with both where every game they play should be enjoyed because we don’t know how many more they’ll be.
3) I’m excited to see Hughes and if he can take another step forward
4) I’m exited to see if Gardner can stay healthy and what impact he cn have for a full season.
5) the farm system….anxious to see if guys can step up and if pitchers can stay healthy.
Those are just 5 things….but although I do have concerns about this team and the direction of the club in general …there are always things to look forward to when pitchers and catchers report for the greatest game ever invented
Since A-Rod is untradeable and the Yanks aren’t just giving him away – not even part of his salary – the Yanks should first ask him to hang it up. If he says no, they should ask him to take a buyout of half his remaining salary. If he says no to that, too, they should banish him to the disabled list forever. Let’s see him break the homerun reoord or even reach 2000 RBI and/or 3000 hits never playing the game again.
He wants to legally steal, make money for nothing from the Yanks? Ok, then he does nothing.
If he had any self-dignity he’d retire now but he wants the $$$$$. He’s a pathetic excuse for a professional baseball player and I pray some player out there says that A-Rod is done and needs to hang it up.
Chris Carpenter refused to walk away from 12.5 million to retire…..why would Arod walk away from 114 million to retire? Why would anybody?
duh, you’ve said that before.
a team cannot keep a player on the DL. once he’s cleared medically they have a certain period to allow him to rehab in the minors they they have to activate him.
to be fair to carpenter he’s the team has not determined that he’s definitely done for the year.
and he did work all last year to come back at the end.
im quite sure he is going to rehab all season in the hopes of coming back
so whether he makes it back this season or not he plans on working to come back before the year is over.
sorry about the bad edit there.
the cards have not said he’s out for the entire season to my knowlege. they’ve just said its unlikely.
“to be fair to carpenter he’s the team has not determined that he’s definitely done for the year”
They haven’t determined Arods career is over either….
I don’t blame Carpenter for not retiring….just saying I don’t really blame Alex if he doesn’t either
i agree about arod. unless he’s banned, he’ll be back this season.
the yankees only other choice would be to release him.
I think the Yanks will find a way to trade Alex before the deadline….just my feeling on it. They’ll eat most of the money and find somebody who will take him and distance themselves from him between now and then enough so that he will save his no trade.
As with AJ….I think the point has come where it’s best for both parties to start over
If the Yankees were to release ARod, without a criminal conviction, anyway, does anybody really think there would not be a team willing to sign him for the league minimum?
i dont think anyone will trade for arod and certainly not w/o seeing him play for a month or so at least.
aside from being radioactive, there are legit questions about whether he can play at all.
even if you’re only asking a team to pitch in say $20M of what he’s owed, they will want to see him play first, even if you can find someone to overlook all the rest.
i think its entirely possible that they will not be able to find a trade parter for arod.
im sure a team or two would take arod for free. but with all the speculation about arod being released or reaching an agreement with the yankees to end the contract, why would anyone agree to pay any of what the yankees owe him (and commit to him for 4+ years) when theres a good chance they can get him for free on a one year contract?
the yankees will certainly have to let arod rehab in order to try to trade him. if they try to trade him before they let him put on a uni, nobody will believe the yankees will let him back on the team.
i dont see him being traded w/o playing for the yankees again.
Alex was one of the better 3B in baseball still before he had this latest injury…..if the Yanks are paying most of the money then I could see a team taking a shot on him
If Giambi is still getting deals . . .Im sure Arod will have no problem finding work
blake do you think a team would trade for him before he plays a game for the yankees?
i dont.
also, arod was statistically one of the better 3b in the league last year but only on a per game basis.
he only played 82 games at 3b and now he’s had another major surgery.
Ys Guy says:
February 11, 2013 at 10:51 am
blake do you think a team would trade for him before he plays a game for the yankees?
if he was cheap enough.. And the risk was minimal maybe
I could be wrong….that’s just what I think happens
The Felix Hernandez physical and the Napoli one has me thinking…
Remember the long delay after the Montero-Pineda swap before it was made official? We were told Pineda was in another country and it seems like the period when Pineda would have normally taken a physical and be evaluated in a physical dragged on for days.
I know it’s a tinfoil hat theory but I wonder if they knew. Certainly they must have charted Pineda’s drop in velocity in the 2nd half. Surely there was pre-existing cause for concern. Surely there must have been deliberation. Yet even after they saw conducted the physical they gambled on Pineda’s potential to either stay healthy or suffer only a temporary setback that was not career threatening. They felt if they lost him, it would not be for too long and it would be worth it for Montero.
saying alex was one of the best 3b in the game before his injury is a stretch:
2.0 WAR
7th in opb among 3b who played more than 120 games
14th in HR’s (one behind youkilis) among 3b
16th in rbi among 3b (one behind youkilis)
11th in ops among 3b who played more than 120 games
sorry that was on base percentage not opb
In principle Carpenter and A-Rod not retiring are similar and good comparisons, but in reality they aren’t. Carpenter is well liked, and he’s never been the highest paid player in the sport.
A-Rod is widely disliked. If these reports are true, people will wish for him to retire and remove himself from the limelight. It’s like calling on anyone in a position of authority in their field to resign in disgrace.
Budget/money wise it’s similar, context wise it is not.
14th in HR?s (one behind youkilis) among 3b
16th in rbi among 3b (one behind youkilis)
———–
yOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know it’s a tinfoil hat theory but I wonder if they knew. Certainly they must have charted Pineda’s drop in velocity in the 2nd half. Surely there was pre-existing cause for concern. Surely there must have been deliberation. Yet even after they saw conducted the physical they gambled on Pineda’s potential to either stay healthy or suffer only a temporary setback that was not career threatening. They felt if they lost him, it would not be for too long and it would be worth it for Montero.
————-
No.
When Alex played he was one of the better 3B in the AL …. WAR is a counting stat.
If he’s cheap enough I think somebody would take a flyer…..remember when everyone said AJ was untradeable? If he’s made cheap enough then somebody may take the low risk move…..nobody is suggesting a team will take half his contract
And as for the Yankees possibly finishing in last place, that would take some absolute worst-case scenario type stuff. The rotation explodes, Cano goes down.
The organization would have to meltdown for the Yankees to finish last. That seems less likely to me than the Yankees finishing in first.
yes war is a counting stat, that’s why i said arod is only a top 3b on a per game basis.
in the overall he was a middle of the pack 3bman
and all of his #’s including games played had been dropping for years BEFORE his major surgery at 37
- HARRIET BYRD ST EYE BALLERS -
(1) GRANDERSON – He’s gotta spray the ball around. All-or-Nothing don’t feed the bulldog.
(2) NUNEZ – Just wantta see his name in the lineup Everyday. His ST numbers will mean Nothing.
(3) JEET – Lateral movement\1st step on defense.
(4) YOUK – Defensively, can he cut-the-mustard?
(5) CC – Can he Still get inside on lefty power hitters? Can he then do same in Yankee Stadium?
arod was 6th or 7th in the AL in hr rbi, and ops last year.
in a 14 team league that DEFINES middle of the pack.
“The organization would have to meltdown for the Yankees to finish last. That seems less likely to me than the Yankees finishing in first.”
It’s the least likely place they finish but it’s more possible than usual for the yanks IMO….they are carrying more risk and are thinner than they have been in years….it’s a worst case scenario but I think whereas usually the Yanks have like a 1% chance I finishing in last place….this year it might be 5-10 %
Ys Guy says:
February 11, 2013 at 11:12 am
arod was 6th or 7th in the AL in hr rbi, and ops last year.
3rd in OPS among AL 3B
anyone who trades for arod takes on arod for 4+ years.
with his baggage, i dont see anyone taking that on.
if he’s released he’ll have no problem getting a chance somewhere
i just dont see anyone taking him and his baggage on for 4 seasons sight unseen.
if the yankees want to trade him (even if they pay almost everything) they will have to let him play as a yankee first.
What happened to the Sox last year could happen to the Yanks this year. I don’t think it is the most likely scenario, but when the offense is clearly worse and the team is old, with a thin bench, with key players both old and coming off major injuries, it is far from a remote possibility.
On the other hand, evidently the new PECOTA projections love us.
arod was 6th or 7th in the AL in hr rbi, and ops last year.
–
He also missed an entire month and played the final month hurt. He was 9th in all of baseball in OPS. Thats upper third. Not middle of the pack. He would have been 7th had he been able to keep an .800 OPS as he had when he got hurt.
A healthy A-rod was not worth the contract, or the same type of super star he was in 09 and prior, but he was still a valuable thirdbaseman.
“3rd in OPS among AL 3B”
yes if you only count the 8 ‘qualifiers’
even in that group 3rd is in the middle of the pack.
“anyone who trades for arod takes on arod for 4+ years.”
At a dollar amount though where they could jut cut him loose though if it didnt work out…..the Yanks will have to eat most of the deal to trade him….not saying they wouldn’t
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Waffle House is open -
Stop the shoulda-woulda-coulda-maybe stuff. If you believe the Yanks are gonna finish Last, have the stones to state such.
middlebrooks and longoria didnt play enough games to qualify. both are considerably better than arod.
” DONNYBROOK February 11th, 2013 at 11:23 am
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Waffle House is open -
Stop the shoulda-woulda-coulda-maybe stuff. If you believe the Yanks are gonna finish Last, have the stones to state such.
————————————————————————————————-
amen! the line at the waffle house is out the door and across the parking lot at this point.
The fact you guys are shrinking A-Rod’s pond to 3rd base hitters only, says it all. The guy is paid to be one of The Best Power Hitters in ALL of MLB. He’s a flat out Failure offensively.
Yeah Blake, I agree.
Honestly, I don’t think ownership would stand for a last place season. I know we’ve been getting the line from corporate about the budget, but in my mind that would set off the alarms.
Middlebrooks is not considerably better. Also only got 286 PA.
3rd of 10 qualifiers….which is top 1/3
One thing to watch out for this year is the starting pitching depth. Seems like Andy goes down every year, so the team will likely plug in the 6th starter (likely Phelps or Nova). What happens if another starter goes down? Then you put in Warren? This rotation does not have the depth of last year’s. That is the major thing that could go wrong this year IMO.
“Honestly, I don’t think ownership would stand for a last place season. I know we’ve been getting the line from corporate about the budget, but in my mind that would set off the alarms.”
Sometimes you can’t just snap your fingers and fix things. And if in fact the Yanks started to actually fall off the cliff for some reason, I don’t think trying to fix things (by which I mean trying to win in 2013) would necessarily be the right move anyway.
If the Yanks make Alex cost like 5 million a year then I can see a team being willing to take that risk
“The guy is paid to be one of The Best Power Hitters in ALL of MLB. ”
Tex explained this. He was paid because he was one of the best power hitters in baseball. You can’t expect him to still be that player after age 33.
Breaking News: Derek Jeter ran from the sports complex today.
among ‘qualifying’ sluggers…
i had to page down past torii hunter and s castro and n aoki to find arod at 78th!
that’s out of 144. again defining middle of the pack!
The Rays exceeded the IFA cap and will be penalized next year (Max bonus set at 250k)
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....14691.html
“Derek Jeter ran from the sports complex today.”
—————————————————————–
did he owe somebody some money?
I completely missed that the Napoli only ended up getting $5M guaranteed from the Sox.
Where were the Yankees on that one?
Ys,
No, he was chasing somebody who owes HIM money.
i believe i read that napoli’s agent didnt negotiate with anyone else once they announced the original agreement with the RS.
on top of that, neither the RS nor the yankees (i believe) consider him a legitimate catcher.
1) just baseball in general…..I love the game and would love it even if there was no Yankees. So I’m excited in general about spring training and seeing that old ball thrown around again.
Blake, you are a true baseball fan, along with those who regularly post on this board throughout the cold and dark winter months.
I thought I was a true baseball fan also but, right now, I’ve never felt so indifferent about the new season. The only thing that remotely excites me about the Yankees is seeing Mo back on the mound for one final season. I simply can’t root for Youkilis. Maybe that will change as the season progresses, but at the present time the idea is abhorrent to me.
If the Yanks are lucky with injuries, and Cano, Tex and the Grandyman hit, I see them winning 90-92 games. But if they have as many injuries as last year (which, with a veteran team is quite likely), I’ll take the under.
“No, he was chasing somebody who owes HIM money.
———————————————–
…and he would have caught the guy but for the slow first step….
Are the Rays stupid like a fox?
Checking in to say we survived – if you consider surviving being trapped inside with a three-year-old and a six-year-old. My brother, SIL and the kids camped out here because they were afraid of losing power. They have oil heat, I have gas heat, I win..
We didn’t get plowed out until yesterday, and going out to play in the snow didn’t work because the snow was too high to negotiate and too powdery to make a snowman. So we were back inside in short order. Cabin fever? More like cabin pandemic!!! I will have my own space back at some point today. Schools are still closed and my SIL is a teacher so she didn’t have work. Love them, but can’t wait to say goodbye so I can get back to normal.
*****************
Kerry, what a great post to read, especially being surrounded by nothing but white! It captures all of the beauty, excitement, and promise of a season. It makes me want to go to ST! Can’t wait for it to begin. Hoping we come home with #28. You are the definition of a faithful Yankee fan!!!
***************
As I am writing this my niece comes down to announce that if she is “excellent” today they might be able to stay over another night because school is called off for tomorrow.
…
(much?) later y’all.
i really never got the youkilis hate.
he’s a dirty-uniform guy.
i always said that had he come up through the yankees system he’d have been loved like oniell.
Anyone know where Luis Torrens is at?
I admittedly haven’t been around much lately but I haven’t seen this hedging people are constantly bringing up the past couple days.
I’ve consistently seen th”hedgers” predict the Yankees as an 87-90 (maybe 91) win team as currently constructed.
Trying to predict where that 87-90ish wins will land them in the standings at this point of the year is silly.
It’s best, for now, to focus on the talent on the roster and try to extrapolate that to a win #, not where they’ll finish in the standings. And, of course, adjust accordingly for any subsequent acquisitions.
Is that a photo of when Mo broke his ankle or is he laughing?
Hard to tell.
on top of that, neither the RS nor the yankees (i believe) consider him a legitimate catcher.
——————
Considering the Yankees currently have Chris Stewart penciled in as their opening day catcher, not really trusting their catcher evaluations at this point.
tucker February 11th, 2013 at 11:29 am
One thing to watch out for this year is the starting pitching depth. Seems like Andy goes down every year, so the team will likely plug in the 6th starter (likely Phelps or Nova). What happens if another starter goes down? Then you put in Warren? This rotation does not have the depth of last year’s. That is the major thing that could go wrong this year IMO.
———————
At this point you gotta believe even if Phelps as the 6th starter isn’t enough that they can find someone to plug in the 7th spot. A lot rests on Nova being able to give you 200 quality innings for the 3rd year in a row.
The offense is going to have to pick up the pitching at some point.. if anyone else goes down besides Andy, that’d be when we’d need it the most.
I don’t love our pitching depth but it’s much better than our OF and INF depth right now.
Here is what Pecota says about things:
Record: 92-70
Runs Scored: 805
Runs Allowed: 691
AVG/OBP/SLG (TAv): .263/.332/.416
R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG WAR
Ichiro Suzuki 78 7 51 31 0.289 0.325 0.378 1.7
Derek Jeter 76 8 54 14 0.279 0.336 0.37 1.3
Robinson Cano 84 26 97 5 0.292 0.342 0.487 4.9
Mark Teixeira 82 29 92 2 0.258 0.353 0.482 3.7
Kevin Youkilis 69 21 75 3 0.262 0.362 0.463 3
Curtis Granderson 82 28 87 14 0.243 0.328 0.466 3.3
Alex Rodriguez 33 11 35 4 0.26 0.347 0.457 1.2
Kevin Youkilis 69 21 75 3 0.262 0.362 0.463 3
Matt Diaz 18 4 19 3 0.251 0.305 0.382 0.2
Juan Rivera 19 6 20 1 0.252 0.305 0.412 0.3
Eduardo Nunez 43 6 31 23 0.26 0.304 0.367 0.8
Travis Hafner 41 12 41 1 0.246 0.338 0.417 0.8
Brett Gardner 74 6 47 46 0.257 0.345 0.361 2.9
David Adams 10 2 10 0 0.252 0.316 0.388 0.2
Chris Stewart 21 4 20 1 0.236 0.302 0.346 0.2
Austin Romine 21 5 22 0 0.237 0.281 0.366 0
Francisco Cervelli 18 3 17 1 0.248 0.316 0.349 0.3
Thanks for the article Kerry. I live in north Florida and I love going down to the Spring Training games.
I also completely agree on Tropicana Field – it’s got to be my least favorite stadium that I’ve ever been to.
If the Yankees play in Miami in 2014 you should try to make it over there – It’s a beautiful stadium (if you can handle all the bright colors).
Yankee fan club card suspended…..
eboland11
As Kuroda drove out of players lot, fan yelled “Hideki!” to try and get him to stop and sign autographs. Didn’t work
lgy the waffling i referenced was regarding the people who come on here every single day and call the FO a bunch of clueless jerks who dont care about winning.
many of these same people have predicted the crash of the franchise.
many have predicted seriously declining attendance.
they come here every day blasting everything about what the team is doing.
then they predict 90 + wins.
THAT is waffling, imo.
I’ve stated my honest opinion that Yanks won’t win their div. this yr. At least, not as we stand now.
Does anyone REALLY think Cano will be signed or will he be traded during mid season if we’re not looking so good ?
With the $ 189 million staring at us, I don’t see any big time players coming to Yanks except through a trade.
This Alex thing needs to get resolved as fast as posssible, otherwise the distraction will be humongous. JMO
Ys Guy February 11th, 2013 at 10:26 am
duh, you’ve said that before.
a team cannot keep a player on the DL. once he’s cleared medically they have a certain period to allow him to rehab in the minors they they have to activate him.
—————————————
Who says he’d be cleared medically and since when does a doctor have to clear him medically?
You think a team doctor would clear him knowing clearance means rehab then activation thus the Yanks don’t get back insurance money once A-Rod is activated?
You think A-Rod’s doctor wouldn’t clear him knowing no clearance means no rehab and activation?
You want to say the Yanks’ doctor would work in the interest of the Yanks, well, A-Rod’s doctor would work in the interest of A-Rod.
You think the Yanks aren’t fighting MLB on activating him, making that fight public, and A-Rod is fighting the Yanks to be activated? One thing A-Rod doesn’t have with the Yanks is ill will / bad blood and that’s the last thing he wants or needs to begin.
The question is whose doctor decides on A-Rod’s clearance, the team’s or A-Rod’s? I’d imagine the team’s. If it’s the team’s no way he clears A-Rod to rehab unless he ever wants to work for the Yanks again. If it’s A-Rod’s, A-Rod will definitely be cleared because money is at stake i.e. his $30M in homerun milestone bonuses.
A-Rod will never play for the Yanks again and say he had to be activated for rehab and was ready to run again. Ok, make him run enough until he gets hurt again. He can’t refuse as that’s breach of contract and there’s nothing in his contract which says he doesn’t have to do certain things. If the coach says sprint, you sprint. What? You gonna cry to your agent that you’re being pushed too hard? You want that to get out in the media? You want to accuse the Yanks of trying to drive you to the disabled list again? You’ve already been there enough times where you don’t need to be driven there. He’ll get hurt again and again.
Bottom line is A-Rod is still paid whether he’s activated or not. I’d even say he should just unofficially retire and stop the noise about coming back. He still gets paid in full, the Yanks make back money on insurance, no insurance company would ever insure a big contract again, and that’s fine as the Yanks should never give a big contract again as the only one that paid off for them was Jeter’s and it barely paid off (one World Series title in three tries across a decade and that title was attained in the ninth year of the contract.)
lgy the waffling i referenced was regarding the people who come on here every single day and call the FO a bunch of clueless jerks who dont care about winning.
—————
Doesn’t that have more to do with 2014 when the Yankees are going to take a borderline playoff caliber team and slash payroll?
PECOTA is clearly an ARod fan.
Get Chatty with Chaddy
here are the pitchers
Pos Name IP ERA WHIP HR SO W L WARP
Sta-1 CC Sabathia 224 3.20 1.16 21 209 17 10 5
Sta-2 Hiroki Kuroda 195 4.09 1.28 25 140 13 11 2.3
Sta-3 Andy Pettitte 138 4.18 1.36 16 108 9 8 1.5
Sta-4 Phil Hughes 174 4.03 1.28 24 153 12 10 2.2
Sta-5 Ivan Nova 168 4.84 1.45 22 119 11 12 0.5
Spot Michael Pineda 58 3.77 1.25 7 55 4 4 1
Closer Mariano Rivera 53 2.48 1.01 5 53 3 2 1.5
Setup David Aardsma 49 4.16 1.42 6 51 2 1 0.4
Setup Boone Logan 53 4.11 1.35 6 55 3 1 0.4
Setup David Robertson 62 2.98 1.23 5 83 3 2 1.4
Mid Cody Eppley 44 4.36 1.39 6 38 2 1 0.2
Mid Clay Rapada 44 4.08 1.38 5 43 2 1 0.4
Mid Mark Montgomery 36 3.43 1.25 4 45 2 1 0.6
Mid Joba Chamberlain 53 3.47 1.26 5 56 3 1 0.9
Mid Jim Miller 13 4.35 1.38 2 12 1 0 0.1
Long David Phelps 78 4.58 1.41 11 60 5 4 0.4
Who says he’d be cleared medically and since when does a doctor have to clear him medically?
You think a team doctor would clear him knowing clearance means rehab then activation thus the Yanks don’t get back insurance money once A-Rod is activated?
You think A-Rod’s doctor wouldn’t clear him knowing no clearance means no rehab and activation?
You want to say the Yanks’ doctor would work in the interest of the Yanks, well, A-Rod’s doctor would work in the interest of A-Rod.
–
The Yankees team doctor is not going to commit insurance fraud for the Yankees. The MLBPA is not going to let a team doctor commit fraud, they will get 2nd and 3rd opinions then take it to Bug Selig.