Just some reading material for between now and the game.
Justice Sotomayor to throw out first pitch Saturday
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, recently sworn in as the 111th Supreme Court Justice, will throw out the first pitch on Saturday when the Yankees face the Red Sox. Raised in the Bronx, Sotomayor is famous in baseball circles because “she issued an order that helped end the Major League Baseball strike of 1994-95.” Want to impress us, Justice? Throw a strike from the mound.
When I saw the juxtaposition of Chad Gaudin in Will Smith in the headline of Marc Carig’s article, I didn’t know what to expect. He makes it clear early on: Gaudin was having trouble in San Diego, so the Padres sent him to live with his auntie and uncle in New York. It’s a great look at Gaudin, who has impressed the Yankees enough during his tenure to earn a rotation spot.
AAA outfielders, 2009 and 2010
Chad Jennings lines up reviews of the six primary outfielders for Scranton Wilkes-Barre this season (plus one who got two at bats). He then takes a look at the names for next year. There doesn’t appear to be much turnover, but there are some variables there. Most notably, Shelley Duncan, who could be a minor league free agent if removed from the 40-man roster, and Colin Curtis, Rule 5 eligible, could head elsewhere.
In an awesome bit on The Baseball Analysts, Chris Moore look at the top 20 fastballs from 2007 and August 2009, rated by control, velocity, and movement. Only one Yankee appears on the list (guess who), and Roy Halladay appears twice in the top 7. Yeah, that guy’s just a little good. The guy who ranks No. 1 is pretty good too, I hear.