Open Thread: February 18th Camp Notes

by 77 Comments

YES Network garners viewers, Emmy nods
From Boomer to Betances
Great, now he's fat AND a sidearmer? (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

News of the day…

  • Both Joba Chamberlain and Ivan Nova did some early bullpen work, getting individual attention from Larry Rothschild. Joba, like Phil Hughes, is already throwing breaking balls. Hughes did some bullpen work today as well. (Chad Jennings)
  • Freddy Garcia says he can survive at 88-89 mph, but there are days when it falls to 83-84. Yikes. “That’s why I’m here [to win a rotation spot,” said Sweaty Freddy. “If you don’t think that way, don’t be here … I don’t worry about anybody else. I have to worry about myself. If I don’t worry about myself, I’m f—-d.” Ed Price points out that Garcia is a notoriously poor Spring Training pitcher. (Marc Carig & Mark Feinsand)
  • Bartolo Colon came to camp at 267 lbs. and his goal is to lose 25 of them. “The problem’s not the weight, it’s the arm,” he said. “I feel really good right now the way I am, but I feel like I need to go down with my weight a little bit more.” The Yankees have Colon on a special cardio program, but apparently he was throwing 94 mph in winter ball. (Carig, Carig, Jennings & Bryan Hoch)
  • Rafael Soriano will get his first bullpen session in sometime next week, and he’s not expected to need many game appearances to get ready for the season. Oh, and Hector Noesi is expected to be in camp by Sunday following his visit issues. (Jennings)
  • The Yankees assigned Soriano number 29 and Frankie Cervelli number 17, so Frankie didn’t get anything out of the switch. Sucks for him. (Hoch)
  • Pedro Feliciano is rocking Javy Vazquez‘s old number (31), and his friends back home in Puerto Rico told him to “get rid of the voodoo.” Does that make sense? That seems like a weird thing to say. (Hoch)
  • Position players are due to report and take physicals tomorrow. The first full squad workout of the season will take place on Sunday. (Jennings)

Here’s the nightly open thread. The Rangers are playing the Islanders Devils, and the entire NBA is off for the All-Star break. Feel free to talk about whatever your heart desire. Enjoy.

YES Network garners viewers, Emmy nods
From Boomer to Betances
  • http://twitter.com/steveh_mandaura Steve H

    Joba looks more linebacker than offensive lineman, right? Maybe he wasn’t on the right training routine, but I don’t think he just sat back and ate cheesy poofs all winter.

    • http://www.superkyle.tk Engelbert

      if he didn’t eat cheesy poofs he’d be lame

      • Mike HC

        Am I the only one to have taken down a box of Captain Crunch since CC’s admission to knocking down two a day?

        • http://www.ps3tf2.co.nr/ Double-J

          I prefer the generic stuff that comes in bags. :P

        • MannyGee

          I want him to sign a box for me!

      • Jimmy McNulty

        <3

      • MannyGee

        Joba to Cashman:

        “Screw You Guys… I’m going home”

      • felixbanuelos

        epic comment

    • Mike HC

      Joba looks to be pretty solid there. Not sure what the hysteria was all about.

      • Mike c

        Yeah he’s always been chubby.. Built kind of like Clemens who my grandma affectionately referred to as “fatass”

  • http://twitter.com/bryanl26 Bryan L

    Joba’s gotta cut the hair.

    • http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

      George? That you?

      • http://twitter.com/bryanl26 Bryan L

        Heh, he still rules all.

    • The Big City of Dreams

      It worked for Hughes last yr

  • 28 this year

    94 mph? Colon’s got command, he might actually have something left in the tank.

    • MannyGee

      this won’t last long at 267 lbs, he will blow his back out by May.

      Meanwhile, 94 on the gun from Colon means Freddy Garcia is not gettting a free ride to the Bronx, which is good

      • Nigel Bangs

        I’d love 2 productive months from Colon. Can you really ask for anything more? Even that seems like a tall order.

      • Tank the Frank

        94mph was in winter ball a few months ago. No telling where that velo is at now. We’ll see.

  • bakekrukow412

    Found this, and couldn’t help but post it. Yes, it’s long.
    Queens, NY. (AP) – A seven-year old boy was at the center of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over whom should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.

    The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When
    the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

    After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the New York
    Mets, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

    • Mike HC

      hahaha … very nice.

    • http://twitter.com/Carlosological Carlosologist

      It may be fucked up, but the last line made me laugh.

    • http://twitter.com/bryanl26 Bryan L

      As soon as I read “New York Mets” I started laughing, didn’t even have to read the last sentence…

      • bakekrukow412

        Kind of sad that’s what the Mets have been reduced to.

    • http://twitter.com/Paddock9652 Stratman9652

      *cough* K-Rod *cough*

      • MannyGee

        TOOO SOOOON!

    • http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

      I’ve heard a variation of this joke but with the Red Sox instead of the Mets.

    • Midland TX

      Nice, but it would have been more credible if you had correctly used “who” instead of “whom” in what was supposed to be an AP wire story.

  • http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

    College baseball season starting tonight!

    Too bad it’s not on TV. Now that I’m no longer in Miami this isn’t nearly as exciting as it used to be.

  • squishy jello person

    The Rangers are playing the Devils, not the Islanders.

  • Tony S

    Go Devils!!!

    • squishy jello person

      GO DEVILS!

  • squishy jello person

    Over/under time!

    Mets wins: 72
    Orioles wins: 75
    Jesus Montero Home Runs: 15
    Phillies wins: 95
    Temperature in Yankee Stadium on March 31st: 52
    Inches of snow between now and then: 10

    • http://twitter.com/bryanl26 Bryan L

      1. Over.
      2. Over.
      3. Under.
      4. Over.
      5. Under.
      6. Under

      • http://www.retire21.com first name only male (formerly Mike R. – Retire 21

        Push

    • http://twitter.com/Carlosological Carlosologist

      Over
      Under
      Over (21)
      Under
      Over
      Under

    • Louis

      Under
      under
      over
      over
      over
      under

      • Louis

        Red sox wins: 95
        Adrian gonzalez hrs:40
        jeter ba: .280
        Yankees wins:95
        yankees starting pithers with era under 4: 2

        • http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

          Over (not by much), over (really, I’d say exactly 40), over, under (not by much), I think it’s going to be 2 but I’ll say over to be an optimist. =P

        • Reggie C.

          Over. But agree with Bex.
          Under.
          Over.
          Under. Yankees as constructed are not a 95 win team. Not. Even. Close.
          Under. Only CC stays under a 4 ERA.

          • http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

            Yankees as constructed are not a 95 win team. Not. Even. Close.

            Except all the projection systems have them at like 91-92 wins. And they’re pretty conservative. (Not that they are gospel.)

            • Esteban

              Word, I think the Yankees are closer to a 95 win team than a 85 win team.

              • http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

                I don’t think they reach 95 wins but yeah, very much this.

            • MannyGee

              I will be extatic with 92 wins from this team, unless they need to take on an abortion contract for the next 3 seasons to get there…

              And for the record, I am not sold on the Rays and Os for this season. I still think that 92 wins can get you the wild card.

              • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

                92 wins would have won the AL WC in each of the last three years.

        • http://twitter.com/TylerWilkinson T-Dubs

          Push
          Under
          Under
          Push
          Over

    • http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

      Over
      Under
      Under
      Over
      Over
      Under

    • http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

      Under (not by much), over (not by much), over, over, under, over

    • http://twitter.com/TylerWilkinson T-Dubs

      (OVER) Mets wins: 72
      (UNDER) Orioles wins: 75
      (OVER) Jesus Montero Home Runs: 15
      (OVER) Phillies wins: 95
      (UNDER) Temperature in Yankee Stadium on March 31st: 52
      (UNDER) Inches of snow between now and then: 10

    • http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/ Matt Imbrogno

      Over
      Push
      Under
      Push
      Under
      Under

  • http://twitter.com/TylerWilkinson T-Dubs
  • http://twitter.com/Carlosological Carlosologist

    Over/Under:

    30 HR for A-Rod
    200 IP for Hughes
    5 SV for Soriano
    .315 AVG for Cano

    • Esteban

      Over for all.

    • Reggie C.

      Over. I believe in Arod in 2011.
      Under.
      Under.
      Over. The OPS might drop due to a slight regression in power, but that BA is most attainable.

    • http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

      Over, juuust over, under, over.

    • http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/ Matt Imbrogno

      Over
      Over, just barely
      Under
      Under

    • Sean C

      Over
      Barely Over
      Barely Over (I’m thinking throw Soriano out when Mo isn’t available, which they’ll probably be more flexible with having a guy like Soriano around)
      Over

  • Esteban

    No ones watching the celebrity all star game? Apart from the retired NBA players (and I guess the WNBA players), watching this shows you how bad normal people are at sports. I will say the Biebs has a decent crossover, and Romeo (former Lil’ Romeo), Arne Duncan (yes, the Secretary of Education), and Common are solid players. Oh and Scottie Pippen could probably still play.

    • Xstar7

      What channel is that on?

      • Esteban

        The world wide leader.

        • Xstar7

          Thanks. Too bad I only get to watch the last 4 minutes.

          • Esteban

            I don’t hate the Biebs, but god, are his fans annoying or what.

    • MannyGee

      OK… call me lame, but after seeing the kid ball, I officially have Beiber Fever. He held his own out there (for being a 16 Y.O. Canadian pop star, that is)

  • http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/ Matt Imbrogno

    Joba’s facial expression is like the one from the dude on “Pawn Stars.”

    • Jimmy McNulty

      Chum-Lee would get a chance to start, though.

  • Jimmy McNulty

    http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2011/2/18/2000707/nfl-lockout-cba-2011-revenue-sharing
    I know you guys hate the Cowboys, but this is the best take I’ve seen about the lockout yet.

  • http://twitter.com/Carlosological Carlosologist

    The mantra for the 2011 Yankees is currently “Just fucking win”. Because we’re the Yankees and we obviously need a secondary story to run. So the secondary mantra for the 2011 Yankees is “We Believe in Number 13”. A-Rod was actually relatively quiet last season, his only moment of controversy being the famous Braden incident. His stats also fell off a bit. Sure he hit 30 bombs for the thirteenth straight year, but he also experienced career-lows in everything that matters.

    It’s an odd-numbered year, so I bet we can expect a huge season from Alex. Which is why, “We Believe in Number 13”!

    • NJ Andy

      How far do we believe though? I don’t think we can reasonably expect too much more than last year–which is really nothing to sneeze at.

      • http://www.yankeeanalysts.com/ Matt Imbrogno

        Making it farther than every team in the AL except one is nothing to sneeze at?

        • NJ Andy

          Sorry, I was responding to his comments about Alex. Not the team as a whole.

        • Poopy Pants

          $200 million is a lot to spend.

    • MannyGee

      well, for what its worth, Dallas Braden can blow me.

      oh yeah, and vote for A-Rod or… something. yeah

  • http://www.twitter.com/tomzig Tom Zig

    Look at how fat Joba is, I mean jeez his stomach is even pointy!

    • The Big City of Dreams

      he has to be 300lbs at least. The kid has let himself go and what is that 8 chins.

  • Xstar7

    The Adam Sandler CenterStage is getting a little sketchy.