Archive for March, 2010

There’s really no rhyme or reason to it, but I found that picture to be pretty cool. It was taken during yesterday’s game by RAB’s (un)official Spring Training photographer, Kathy Willens of the AP. It’s a shame George isn’t around as much as he used to be, but in the end I guess it’s good, because the team is run much more intelligently and efficiently than before.

Anyway, use this sucker as your open thread tonight. The Ranger and Devils are both in action tonight, but feel free to talk about whatever you want. Just don’t be a dick.

Categories : Open Thread
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For the first time since Game Six of the World Series, Andy Pettitte took to the mound today against hitters trying to do some damage off him. He threw a two inning simulated game on a back field of the Tampa complex, throwing 36 pitches total to Colin Curtis (a lefty) and Randy Winn (a switch hitter). “Mentally, I feel like I’m seeing my pitches,” said Pettitte. “Especially, at my age, I’m happy at 9 o’clock in the morning to be able to get it going, I was up at 5:30 trying to get ready for this.”

Sometime in the next week, the bullpen trio of Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, and Chan Ho Park will get into an exhibition game. Pettitte and Javy Vazquez are the only remaining members of the projected starting rotation that have not yet gotten into a game against opposing players, but that should happen this week.

Categories : Asides, Spring Training
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Mar
07

The Sunday Sports Section

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Every Sunday it seems like there are tons of Yankees links in my reader. They’re all worth a read, or at least a glance, kind of like the Sunday sports section. I’ll try to make this a regular thing. This way, you’ll also know about what time I wake up on Sundays.

Categories : Links
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Mar
06

Saturday Night Open Thread

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Have at it.

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (75)
Mar
06

Tynan shippin’ up to Boston

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When last we heard from Ronan Tynan, Will Leitch had profiled the troubled singer. Exiled from Yankee Stadium this fall after his anti-Semitic remarks became public, Tynan has since seen his public bookings dry up and his persona grow diminished in the eyes of his former fans.

The Times today checked in on Tynan and found that the one-time Yankee celebrity is moving up to the land of the enemy. He has sold his Upper East Side apartment and will be decamping for Boston shortly. Writes Corey Kilgannon:

He insists he has not given up on New York — he will keep a rented apartment here. Nor is he angry at the city. He said he was moving mainly for a change and because he had family and friends in Boston.

When pressed, however, he admits that life here has become strained: the barrage of angry e-mail messages and letters; the death threats; the surgeon who wrote saying he would let him die on the operating table, if Mr. Tynan were his patient; the prominent chef who steered him away from a table of customers because one of them was a Jewish man who refused to meet the singer.

“It hasn’t driven me out, because I love this city so much, but it has saddened me,” Mr. Tynan said in an interview this week at a friend’s apartment in Manhattan. “I’ve cried and I’ve laughed with New Yorkers, irrespective of creed or whether they’re Jewish or Catholic or Protestant.”

Tynan continues to claim that his remarks about the “Jewish ladies” were misconstrued and that he’s not an anti-Semite because he sang at an Anti-Defamation League. His remarks, still, were out of line.

When the news of his departure to New England popped up in the press this week, one publication wondered if he would come sing for the Red Sox. Tynan refused to speculate, but considering Red Sox Nation’s tolerance for anything Yankees, it’s hard to see them accepting him.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mike Segar

Categories : News
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Nick Johnson, the Yanks’ own version of Mr. Glass, became the first casualty of Spring Training last week when his back tightened after he caught his cleat on the turf in the batting cage. While many in the media were up in the arms over the Yanks’ reliance on the fragile lefty, Nick and the Yanks insisted he was fine. The team opted to take it slowly so that the DH would be feeling strong, and he probably could have played had it been the regular season. This morning, we learn via Joe Auriemma that Nick took 50 swings in cage, is feelin’ good just like he knew he would and plans to play Monday. And exhale.

Categories : Asides, Injuries
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Mar
06

Happy Birthday, Frankie

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Update (3:20pm): GM Brian Cashman said the CT scan was negative.

2:33pm: Birthday boy and backup catcher Frankie Cervelli left today’s exhibition game after being hit in the head by a pitch from Blue Jays’ reliever Zech Zinicola in the third inning. The impact was so hard, there was apparently an imprint of the seams left on his helmet. Cervelli suffered a concussion, and has been taken to a hospital for a CT scan. Remember, Cervelli suffered a head injury playing winter ball during the offseason.

We’ll update this post if there’s any more news.

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A.J Burnett will start against his former team this afternoon while showing off his new changeup for a pair of innings, but the big story is that 2007 first round pick Andrew Brackman is scheduled to pitch today. For many of us, it’s the first time we’ll get to see the 6-foot-10 righthander since he turned a pro. Here’s what he looked in college like almost four years ago, so it’ll be interesting to compare his delivery to what it is today. As luck would have it, Chad Jennings interviewed Brackman yesterday, who said he finally feels normal after coming back from Tommy John surgery (ST cliche alert).

Anyway, I’m looking forward to see the big guy on the mound, as well as Burnett’s change. Phil Hughes‘ looked pretty good yesterday, so let’s how A.J.’s is coming along. Here’s the starting lineup…

Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Posada, C
A-Rod, 3B
Winn, RF
Gardner, LF
Cervelli, DH
Miranda, 1B
Pena, 2B

Scheduled Pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Andrew Brackman, Jon Albaladejo, Boone Logan, Mark Melancon, Jason Hirsh, Romulo Sanchez, Amaury Sanit

Also scheduled to play: Colin Curtis, Jamie Hoffmann, Brandon Laird, Eduardo Nunez, Mike Rivera, Austin Romine, Kevin Russo, Jorge Vazquez, David Winfree

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm ET, and you can watch on My9 locally or MLB Network from afar.

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens, AP

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Via MLBTR, the Yankees are heavily interested in Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria, who is now free to sign with any team after being unblocked by the OFAC. Joe told us everything we need to know about the 19-year-old last month, and it’s likely that he’ll receive a larger bonus than the $8.2M the Red Sox gave the all-glove/no-hit Jose Iglesias this offseason. Obviously, the Yankees need to start thinking about a shortstop of the future, but that’s a lot of scratch for a teenager, especially when you consider the track record of Cuban imports.

Categories : Asides
Comments (50)
Mar
05

Open Thread: Forgettable

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I’m sure you know what happened during today’s meaningless Spring Training game, so I’ll spare you the details. The most encouraging thing to take from it is the ten or so changeups Phil Hughes threw in his two innings of work, which looked pretty good. He even got a swing and miss on one of ‘em. Jesus Montero drew a pair of walks, though it was technically a walk and a strikeout. The called third strike was definitely out of the zone, it jut looked like the umps were ready to get out of there after such a long game. Eh, whatever.

So here’s tonight’s open thread. The Knicks, Nets, and Devils are all playing tonight, and of course there’s always the option of going on this Friday night. No matter what you choose, enjoy talking about it here.

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (98)