Link Dump: Granderson, Hughes, DePaula
BySome stuff worth mentioning, but not worth their own posts…
Curtis Granderson gets contacts
Despite having 20/30 vision, new centerfielder Curtis Granderson will be wearing contacts for the first time in his career this season. “They said, ‘Your vision is 20/30, so let’s see if we can improve it,’” said Granderson. “For most people, they’d let it go, but since we can possibly make me see better to hit, who knows. We’ll see.” They considered Lasik at one point, but I guess they didn’t see the need to go that far just yet. Neither side is using his eyesight as an excuse for Granderson’s struggles against lefties or pop ups or anything like that, they’re just looking to make an improvement wherever they can.
Phil Hughes is throwing changeups
About a week ago, we heard that the Phil Hughes was going to focus on developing his changeup this spring in an effort to boost his repertoire in anticipation of returning to the rotation. Of course, we’ve heard this before. During his bullpen session yesterday, Hughes threw about a dozen changeups (40 pitches total), and he’s going to continue doing so all through the exhibition season. Given his fastball-cutter-curveball trio, Hughes doesn’t need the change to be anything more than a show-me pitch to lefthanders, but if he can develop into something better than that, then great.
Yankees still in on Rafael DePaula
Even though he’s sitting on an offer from the Mariners, the Yankees are still trying to sign Dominican righty Rafael DePaula. The 17-year-old was suspended by MLB for a year because he apparently lied about his age, however his birthdate has since been confirmed and he’s free to sign with any team. DePaula stands 6′-3″ and has reportedly hit 97 in the past, which puts him in line for a seven figure payout. The largest bonus the Yanks have ever given to an amateur pitcher from Latin American is the $800,000 they gave Arodys Vizcaino back in 2007.
A look at the history of stadiums and stadium names
Wezen-Ball put together a great infographic showing each club’s stadium and it’s name, dating back to the 1800′s. I love stuff like this. So much I didn’t know…
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Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
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- Curtis Granderson leaves game after fracturing knuckle on his pinkie finger
- Teixeira to play for Double-A Trenton Thunder on Wednesday and Thursday
- Teixeira plans to play in Minors Wednesday
- Brian Cashman speaks to media about injured Yankees pitchers
- Alberto Gonzalez clears waivers, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
- Seattle Mariners option Jesus Montero to Triple-A
- Thriving with the Yankees, Vernon Wells fulfilling his father's dream
- Kuroda leaves early as Orioles win rubber game
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Signing Depaula would be a niiiiice. He’s supposed to have a very good base for off speed stuff too. As DO would say “he can really spin the ball”.
DePaula: Yes, please.
Hechevarria: Thank you sir, may I have another?
I hope there after Hechevarria as well. Yanks desperately need to try to stockpile some viable shortstop options in the farm to replace da caps.
That infographic is awesome.
I especially like the Marlins’ line: Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins/LandShark/Sun Life. Sadly, they didn’t even get all of the names in there. They should have just gone with Dave Barry’s “Hooker Stadium.”
It’s actually:
Joe Robbie Stadium (1987-1996)
Pro Player Park (1996)
Pro Player Stadium (1996-2005)
Dolphins Stadium (2005-2006)
Dolphin Stadium (2006-2009)
Land Shark Stadium (2009-2010)
Dolphin Stadium (2010)
Sun Life Field (2010-present)
Jesus H. Montero, pick a friggin name and stick with it, losers!
Sincerely,
Sal, Bo, Grant, and Lanny
………….
The stadium had three different names, all in 1996? Wow.
They named it Pro Player Park and people didn’t like that for obvious reasons (who names a football stadium a park???) so they changed it back to Stadium.
Isn’t it Sun Life Stadium?
Whoops, you’re right. Sun Life Field, not Stadium. Which only means they’ll probably change it to Sun Life Field in a year or so, then Sun Life Park after that.
Hopefully, though, Sun Life Insurance gets bought by State Farm, Old Mutual, AXA or the like in the next few years so we can have another name change.
“GETTING TO GAME
To get to the game, simply ask any Miami resident for directions to “Sun Life Stadium” and you will be rewarded with a blank stare, because until about 15 minutes ago it was officially named “Land Shark Stadium.” It has also been officially named “Dolphins Stadium,” “Pro Player Stadium,” “Joe Robbie Stadium,” “McDonald’s Value Meal Stadium,” “Toilet Duck Stadium,” “The Law Offices of Leonard A. Tortmonger and Associates Stadium,” and “Jason Whiffenberger’s Bar Mitzvah Stadium.” The largest cash business in South Florida is selling the naming rights to this stadium. For the right price, you can name it after yourself, but only until another buyer comes along, because it is not a faithful stadium. It’s the 10-dollar hooker of stadiums.
Anyway, to get to Hooker Stadium from Miami, get onI-95 (not recommended) and drive north until you enter the Golden Glades Interchange, which scientists believe was left here by alien beings.
You will emerge from the Golden Glades somewhere near the stadium. Or, Cleveland. There is no way to tell.”
http://www.miamiherald.com/201.....o-out.html
“The Law Offices of Leonard A. Tortmonger and Associates Stadium”
That’s my favorite.
“At the lawfirm of Green and Fazio, we don’t see a dime until you see three dimes.”
http://img.snlarc.jt.org/caps/.....0Fazio.jpg (safe)
To get to the game, simply ask any Miami resident for directions to “Sun Life Stadium” and you will be rewarded with a blank stare, because until about 15 minutes ago it was officially named “Land Shark Stadium.”
Well, that and the fact no one has ever been there.
Hey now. Just cause I rarely actually remember being there doesn’t mean I’ve never been.
Best part is definitely seeing all the WS trophies on the Yankees’ bar.
Yeah, would make an awesome poster.
If the Yanks got DePaula, where would he rank on the list?
I’d probably leave him off it until he threw in the GCL.
“If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap”
They considered Lasik at one point, but I guess they didn’t see the need to go that far just yet.
I’ve heard from some people that this procedure has actually made their eye-sight worse. Obviously there are more success stories than failures but the risk may still be there.
Contacts, huh? Well, I guess some chickenshits are just too pussy to get LASIK done by Dr. DeLaRusso. What a pansy ass. Knuckle up, junior, or I will beat the everliving shit out of you if you disrespect the position that I made great.
Sincerely,
Feared Williams
About a week ago, we heard that the Phil Hughes was going to focus on developing his changeup this spring in an effort to boost his repertoire in anticipation of returning to the rotation.
I think Kepner was on TMKS the yesterday. He and Kay were claiming that if Hughes can get a good change by the end of camp, “He wins the fifth starter spot. Just because of that changeup.”
Yeah… no.
Clearly the fifth starter battle is going to come down to each pitcher’s respective fourth pitch.
What else is there to base a player’s skill on?
Certainly not incumbency, prior track records of success, developmental strategic planning, innings limits, or optimal roster configuration considerations.
Nope… just 4th pitches. Joba already throws four pitches, but if Phil learns how to also throw four pitches, BOOOOOM, he’s the fifth starter. It’s that simple.
No, not four pitches. Only the 3rd and 4th pitch count.
All the top two pitches tell us is who would be perfect for the bullpen.
I sit corrected. Thanks, radnom.
While they may not be willing to discuss eyesight being an issue, it definitely is. There have been several studies about visual acuity in baseball players and they tend to have significantly better vision than the general populace. Grandy’s 20/30 uncorrected vision is probably on the lower end in MLB.
He really should consider refractive surgery of some kind. I had PRK and am in the 20/15 to 20/10 range.
they also say that one of the benefits of steroids* is improved eyesight. i also remember that it was mentioned frequently that Giambi had unbelievable eyesight.
*note: not trying to turn this into a steroids debate, but it’s interesting, i think
Does that mean you can see through walls?
So are Granderson’s eyes now in “the best shape of their career?”
IETC
Dammit. I was going to link to the audio of Matt Kemp getting champagne in his contacts from PMS, but I can’t find it. Stupid internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLeUTpwFjI (NSFW-profanity)
It doesn’t matter if Granderson’s eyes are good enough to emit laser beams and have x-ray vision, and if said improvement in vision results in the best season of any American League center fielder this year. The whole success of the season boils down to the fact that Robinson Cano “must be clutch every at-bat.” Like John Harper says.
http://www.sonsofsamhorn.net/w.....yKelly.jpg
the best center fielder in baseball
The whole success of the season boils down to the fact that Robinson Cano “must be clutch every at-bat.” Like John Harper says.
I didn’t read that John Harper article.
Please, don’t link to it, I’d very much like to keep it that way.
My company prevents me from using personal email otherwise I would have sent this that way. But if you could just answer quickly and perhaps delete this. Are “Link Dumps” considered Open Threads? or do they have to be labeled as such. And not like widely off topic stuff, but I was going to “dump” a link of my own in there. Certainly Yankees and baseball related.
We’d rather it not be an open thread. There’s four different topics in this post, which is enough to talk about. Stick it in the Off-Topic Thread, we’ll see it.
I’m a tad disappointed that Shea Stadium wasn’t listed as one of our parks, or that YS3 was called YS2 when YS2 was really post-renovation YS1.
Poor Mariners, Rangers, and Expos/Nationals… nary a trophy, nor a flag.
But at least you can read the names of all their stadiums…
True. And hey: French.
As long as I remember my poor mom bursting out crying in 1995, I will never, ever feel bad for the Mariners. Ever.
Rangers, sure.
Expos/Nationals, definitely. Haven’t they never even made it to the playoffs?
But not the Mariners.
Expos/Nationals, definitely. Haven’t they never even made it to the playoffs?
Thanks to the hinky first-half/second-half format of the effed-up 1981 strike season… technically yes, the Expos have made the playoffs.
They also would have most likely made the playoffs in 1994. What is it with Les Expos and strike-shortened seasons?
Fun Fact Trivia Time:
That 1981 Expos playoffs squad included three current big league managers. Can you name them (NO CHEATING!!!)?
I’ll guess Scioscia and Francona.
You got one right.
I was going to say Francona. Scioscia was a lifetime Dodger.
Jerry Manuel?
Francona and Manuel are correct. The third one is tougher.
Looked it up. Would never have guessed
Brad Mills?
Winner.
Francona, Manuel, and Mills all played together for the Expos in the 1981 NCLS victory over the Phillies.
It was pretty easy. Living in Boston, I regularly hear that the Red Sox coaching staff is full of future Managers (of the Year). In fact, the Yankees have approached John Farrell every year to become their manager, but he would rather stay in the more glorious position of pitching coach for the Sox. Even after winning the 2009 title, the Yankees would ship out Girardi in a heartbeat to get their hands on Farrell.
Mills isn’t a household name yet, but I’m sure he will be after he takes the Astros to ten consecutive NL pennants, which will all bittersweetly end in World Series defeats to the Boston Francona juggernaut.
For Diamond Cutters, I’m Peter Gammons, ESPN.
Terry Francona is good enough to start at first base for 6 or 7 NL teams. However, the Red Sox are so good he can’t even crack the 40 man roster and has to manage in order to stay with the glorious franchise of the Boston Red Sox. Of course as the greatest manager ever, the Red Sox FO allows him to stay with the team.
For Diamond Cutters, I’m Peter Gammons,
ESPNMLB NetworkUgh don’t remind me he’s on MLB Network
Also, Boston juggernaut, what are you talking about? They’re a humble underdog that scraps their way to the playoffs with their tiny payroll.
I pretty much out-and-out love Terry Francona, for whatever reason. Though, now that his Sox have gotten swept out of the first round twice, can we stop it with the “Playoff Tito” thing?
“For Diamond Cutters, I’m Peter Gammons,
MLB NetworkESPN.My meme. My rules. It remains ESPN. The meme does not change.
(I just looked that up and hey, I got one of those right. The other one… I definitely knew he played for a certain team in a certain year, but I figured it was worth a guess. *shrug*)
Is it sad that looking at the 1981 Expos, I can still only find 2 of the 3?
That’s why it’s hard. You probably don’t identify his name as a manager because he hasn’t been one very long yet.
More 1981 managerial fun:
That 1981 NLDS had three future MLB managers for the Expos (Francona, Manuel, Mills) squaring off against three future managers on the Phillies side (Bob Boone, Pete Rose, Larry Bowa).
After dispatching the Phillies, the Expos lost to the 1981 Dodgers in the NLCS (Mike Scoscia, Dusty Baker) who had vanquished the Astros in their NLDS (Art Howe, Phil Garner).
The 1981 Dodgers played the Yankees (Willie Randolph, Bucky Dent, Lou Pinella, Johnny Oates).
I’m curious if that is a lot of managers to have managing in a given season. It wouldn’t surprise me to find that 15-20 future managers are in the majors in any given season.
There are 25 on the 2010 Red Sox team, if they choose that path down the road, but your 15-20 number is likely spot on for the rest of the league.
For Diamond Cutters, I’m Peter Gammons, ESPN.
I’m curious if that is a lot of managers to have managing in a given season. It wouldn’t surprise me to find that 15-20 future managers are in the majors in any given season.
Probably, sure. I do find it interesting that there’s so many on the playoff teams, though.
The Yankees beat the Brewers in the ALDS, who had Cecil Cooper on their squad. Of the 8 1981 playoff teams, only the A’s and Royals didn’t have a future manager on their rosters.
If they had that “winning gene” as players, wouldn’t it automatically carry over as managers?
Honestly, that could explain it, as little sense as it makes.
The Olney article also had some interesting stuff about Montero-
http://riveraveblues.com/2010/.....ing-24318/
HA, dude It’s been a rough morning, my bad. That’s embarrassing.
I can only imagine what constitutes a rough morning for you pat. And please spare us the details, I want to save a sliver of my innocence.
It wasn’t the worst I’ve had. At least the midgets were alive this time.
Midgets . . . That’s weird I’ve always assumed you were a dwarf guy.
Rookie mistake. Midgets are much more durable.
Where is the “always open” thread? I want to discuss Theo’s comments on UZR and Jacoby Mays
Top right corner.
Labeled “OFF-TOPIC”
Hughes with a change could be huge. His change looked workable in ’07, but it’s been invisible the past two years.
You know where a great place for Phil to work on his changeup would be?
Lazy Scranton.
What a waste that would be when he can and has proven he can help the big club out of the pen. You know just because you’re in the pen doesnt mean you cant work on things.
You know just because you’re in the pen doesnt mean you cant work on things.
Just because you’re in AAA doesn’t mean you can’t work on things.
Or, said in Bospeak:
Just because
you’reyoure in AAAdoesn’tdoesnt mean youcan’tcant work on things.It’s always great news when the newest impact player tells everyone he just had eye surgery.
Maybe now he’ll be able to hit lefties
What Mike said, emphasis mine.
Reading comprehension: BoFAILED, as usual.
ietc
i thought the yankees gave ricardo aramboles 1.8m to sign?
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