Yanks pitchers get inked up
ByI love tattoos. Got my first one when I was 18, and then got myself another for my 19th birthday. Then I quit my job to start taking classes full-time and have never had enough of a cash surplus to continue. One day, hopefully soon, I’ll start working my way down my arm. This post isn’t about me, though, it’s about the Yankees pitchers and their ink. Kat O’Brien writes about A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia, Brian Bruney, and Joba Chamberlain, whose lockers all share a wall, and who all have a number of tattoos.
Apparently A.J. is covered head to toe in ink. Well, except below the elbow; colored tattoos there would mean he’d have to wear long sleeves to pitch. Strangest tatt: a picture of himself pitching on his left ankle. What is he, Steve-O? I suppose the Godzilla tatt makes up for it.
(Also, I did not know that Burnett was in a band with Tim Spooneybarger, which is all sorts of awesome.)
Joba has mostly words — sayings he lives by — tattooed on his body. He claims his entire arm will be covered by next year. Will we see Joba in long sleeves for the rest of his career, or will he be like Burnett and keep them above the elbow?
You might remember Sabathia’s tattoos from an earlier post. It looks like he had nothing below the elbow last year in Milwaukee, but now his entire right arm is covered. He keeps a list of loved ones he’s lost on his right arm above the elbow.
Finally, Burney. I can’t stand the tattoo he has on his forearm. He has 12, so the others might compensate, but man, it’s just like the Independent logo. Maybe it’s just me, but I think if you’re going to get a tatt you don’t go pick something off the poster board at the shop.
Just for kicks, here’s the one on my left arm.
Scary, eh?
68 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Stephen Rhoads (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Subscribe to RAB by RSS and Twitter
Follow @RiverAveBlues Search RAB
Spring Training Countdown
Just 5 days 'til pitchers and catchers report.Banner Design By
The lack of pictures of the tattoos is disappointing.
I have one, it covers most of my right upper arm. It includes two raised fists, Tommie Smith and John Carlos style, as well as a quote from Kwame Nkrumah:
“Revolutions are lead by men – by men who think as men of action and act as men of thought.”
I have a tattoo of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes pissing on a Tampa Bay Stallions logo. I was an Orlando Renegades fan.
I did not think that decision through that well.
I just laughed at you.
or with him…
Exactly how liquored up were you?
There’s a shocker…someone who ended up regretting a tattoo. Never heard that before.
Tattoos are for idiots who want to be like everyone else and can’t think for themselves.
Wear a shirt with your statement on it, you can always change that later.
OK, go ahead and rip me up now…..
Tattoos are for idiots who want to be like everyone else and can’t think for themselves.
No. CONVENTIONS are for idiots who want to be like everyone else. There’s two types of people: People who think there’s two types of people and people who don’t.
(heh.)
Seriously, though, in this instance, there’s four types of people:
1- People who get tattoos because they personally want to express themselves
2- People who get tattoos because they thing it’s the cool thing to do and want to conform to some artificial social standard
3- People who don’t get tattoos because they choose to express themselves in other ways
4- People who don’t get tattoos because they think choosing not to get a tattoo is the “cool” thing to do and they also want to conform to some artificial social standard
And, I’m probably leaving something out there, there’s more like 100 types of people regarding tattoos and not just 4.
Couldn’t I just as easily say that “wearing clothes” or “not shitting on your mother-in-law’s couch because the green bean casserole she cooked was lousy” is for idiots who want to be like everyone else? Because you’re merely speaking of adhering or not adhering to socially proscribed mores and cultural manifestations, or lack thereof. Way more complex than you’re making it. As my grandpappy used to say, the less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to look foolish in retrospect.
Personally, I have a tattoo that I’ve never seen anyone else have on their body. I didn’t pick it out of a book, I had a vision of it in my head and had an artist design it for me from scratch. It’s the embodiment of part of my personality. It has meaning unique to me. It’s a way for me to both remind myself and to speak to the world a story about who I am.
I also wear t-shirts with statements on them. I simply choose to do both: have temporary statements and a permanent one.
Ready for me to blow your mind? I’m probably going to have my skin BRANDED one day.
“Ready for me to blow your mind? I’m probably going to have my skin BRANDED one day.”
Now, I get the tats.
But branding I don’t get.
And nothing in this world blows my mind anymore.
“Couldn’t I just as easily say that “wearing clothes” or “not shitting on your mother-in-law’s couch because the green bean casserole she cooked was lousy” is for idiots who want to be like everyone else?”
I liked your post very much if it ended right after the list of “four types of people”.
But then you had to go and get creepy with shiznit like this.
So you just posted that for the sake of getting ripped.
You’re so great.
I love being defined by some fucktard who’s never met me.
He shit on you for something you did, you shit on him for something he said…who’s right? I’m so confused!
thats a well thought out tattoo
Yeah i have a tattoo covering my right upper arm as well(well, the inner bicep is a bit naked still)…it’s a picture of an indian goddess(Kali) and a phoenix, with an old hindu scripture in sanskrit under it…translates to:
From delusion lead me to truth,
From darkness lead me to light,
From death lead me to immortality.
I got it from this guy in NYC, he’s freakin amazing…bit pricey, but worth it
Oh and I’m looking to hopefully get two more this year…can’t wait
Got a tattoo myself……..it’s unique, it’s Irish, it has meaning, and I’m glad I’ll be wearing it for the rest of my life.
Now having said that, Kat Obrien must be so far out of fucking material that she’s writing articles like these.
I love tatoos but I hope Joba doesn’t get his whole arm covered. Go AJ style, keep it above the elbows.
agreed
Agreed. Forearm tattoos usually don’t work unless they are part of a sleeve, but hey, to each his own.
When do get ink, I am gonna get a something revolving around a crucifix starting on my left shoulder and stopping somewhere before the elbow.
Overall, I agree with Joe. A tat should mean something to ya considering how much time goes into it and how much of a pain they can be to remove.
No offense, but I think all tatoos are stupid. Putting a painful needle in your skin when not medically necessary just doesn’t make sense to me.
No offense, but I think you’re an ugly douchetard.
No offense.
Tommie says that with all due respect.
I’ve always wanted to get some tattoos but I don’t have the money/don’t know where to put them.
Is it legal to call someone a douchetard.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.
he was fine with douchetard but ugly crossed the line.
Crossing the line was the point.
Just to balance this a bit, I concur with you David.
Some of the guys back in the early ’60 had some tats of the unit on their arm (R&R in Japan), the only thing was…we didn’t have a unit designation so they used Airborne “Screaming Eagle”.
Of course, as one can imagine they were all drunk most of the time.
Heh, my dad said a guy on his ship got real hammered one night. This man happened to be from Texas and he wanted Texas across his chest. He woke up the next morning, and it said Taxes.
Doesn’t surprise me at all. Have heard, and seen many of those story’s over the many years out-land. One must remember, Navy (by far) had the best guys for that stuff, I mean they were artists. The bad thing is, they got restless out to sea, and played jokes on people wanting tattoos.
Haha, yep. Have heard the stories from my Dad. Some funny shit.
Agreed! Tattoos are for sheep! Think for yourselves people!
Here’s a question…has anyone EVER seen an old person that had a cool looking tattoo?
Nope, they ALWAYS end up looking disgusting/retarded and the large majority of people regret them.
Blanket statements are almost always incorrect.
I can guarantee to you there are numerous people who got tattoos in their youth that do not regret them in the least by the time they’re 80.
Well, they should.
That’s my only issue with my tattoo. Waking up one day, I’m 75, and I have this now shitty looking thing on my wrinkled tricep.
Military tattoes are never a regret. It’s the spur of the moment, or the period of life type of tattoos that alot of people get that they will later regret.
“Agreed! Tattoos are for sheep!”
My cousin lived on a farm in Iowa, and one of his sheep got a tattoo on his back with a skull and crossbones.
That was one sheep that nobody fucked with!
I have nothing against tattoos, but I was wondering if there is a process to remove them or something. I just see these guys being 60 with sagging tattoos that look bad.
I get what you mean. But you do really make every decision in your life based on whether or not you would make the same one when you are 60?
No- but there are some decisions that you have to live with forever, and those I think should be considered with more thought. I am sure that plenty of people with tats think about this and dont mind it, but I am sure there are those that do it without thinking.
Now there is “erasable ink” so if you get this ink there is an activator that can easily have the tattoo be removed.
However for traditional ink, no there isnt.
You can get it removed with a laser. It takes a long time to go away and you have to go for multiple sessions. I’ve thought about it with my tattoo, but I really just don’t care how it’s going to look then. Can’t be making decisions about how I’m gonna look in 30 years
Well there is a process for removal, laser surgery that i am going through now. It is 10x more painful then the tattoo and 10x more expensive.
I have plenty of ink ,this one just had to go.
My advice is think long and hard about the ink you are about to get.
Josh Beckett has a tramp stamp.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/6133.....oo-remover
“Well, maybe not the only thing. Hahaha.”
Lol.
All my guys are long gone but, I have seen many people here in Up-state NY getting or have tattoos. Some of witch are good (for now), I just never had the desire to do it…as with David, I don’t see the point.
It’s a form of expression – just like music, fashion, painting, photography, or what have you. Some people do it to keep their memories close by; some do it to have their spiritual beliefs with them at all times; and some do it just for plain ol’ style.
Personally, I would marry a Suicide Girl (Google it) in a cocaine heartbeat, but that’s just me.
Yep, once I move out of the house, I will get a small one on the upper part of my shoulder blade having to do with my Mom.
Definitely want one on my upper arm for just plain ol’ style too as you put it though, haha.
“Yep, once I move out of the house, I will get a small one on the upper part of my shoulder blade having to do with my Mom.”
Classic. You won’t get a tattoo because you live with your mom and she’ll get mad, so then you’re going to move out and get one that implicates her as the muse behind it.
Kids just love to torture their parents.
If I’m not mistaken. CC also has Sabathia across the top of his back like a baseball jersey.
Fail on my part. Didn’t read the whole article on newsday. Yep, thought he had one there.
Geez, where is the muscle definition Mike? lol. I have a band and I got my “band name” tattooed on my whole upper right arm when I was 18. On my left upper arm I have the word “prestige” tattooed which is something I wanted to get to always remind myself what I strive for in life, and which I got at 19.
Maybe you can’t see mike’s arm definition because that’s joe’s arm.
Okay, let’s all stop lying to each other:
Mike, Joe, and Ben are all the same person.
It’s like “The Many Faces of Eve.”
I have no problem with one tattoo, or maybe two, but these days it’s (too) often wall to wall.
To each his/her own, I guess. Not for me but, if one wants it, so be it!
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?.....id=3670864
Anyone watching the epic Syracuse-UCONN game?
Epic is apt.
6 OT!!!
It was so amazing, I’m going to go out and get a “6OT” tattoo on my back……just having witnessed it.
How exhausted must these guys be?
A truly awesome game.
That tattoo looks like my aunt.
Tattoo’s are for insecure men with tiny penis.’
Ridiculous!
dane bramage has a tiny penis.
No offence intended! Is Dane a male or female name? Just asking, not meaning any sarcasm.
Just, the way your statement is written makes me think it’s from a female. I don’t agree with tattoos but, I do know a good many young ladies that have them. It seems to be the thing to do for some of the under 35 age group.
“Tattoo’s are for insecure men with tiny penis.”
You wish that were true. Then it would make it easier for you to know which guys not to pick up!
I have a tattoo of a baseball on my upper arm. Most people who know me have never seen it. It’s not for them, it’s for me. Tattoos, just like hair color and ear/nose/eyebrow rings should not be a form of expression. Intelligent people express themselves through what they say and what they do, not how they look, what they wear or what color their hair is. Many fall back on these types of things as “expressing myself” because they can’t do it through words or actions. I think people should have as many tattoos as they want, just don’t claim to be expressing yourself with them. If you’re busy showing them to everyone, you’re most likely just looking for attention. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but let’s call a spade a spade.
People with tattoos are dorks. People who have to have dye injected into their skin to ease their boredom with the clear skin that was there have a screw loose. You don’t see Derek Jeter having any tattoos, do you? That’s because he was parented properly and taught to “raise the bar” with the better things in life for which to strive.
I’ll let my folks know you dissaprove of the way they parented me. I didn’t have to get tattooed, I chose to because I wanted to. It doesn’t make me a dork, but thanks for trying to characterize me with one word.