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Wang to check in with Dr. Andrews
Posted by: | CommentsThe Yankees don’t have many immediate roster decisions to make as they head into the off-season. They have just one team option to consider, Sergio Mitre’s for $1.25 million, and they will likely exercise it. Only a few players are arbitration eligible, and of them most are either easy or painless calls. The case of Chien-Ming Wang, though, is a tough one. After surgery in July to repair a shoulder capsule, Wang could start the 2010 season in July, if he starts it at all. Will the Yankees tender him a contract under those circumstances?
The Yankees will have more information at hand after Monday, when Wang visits Dr. James Andrews to check up on his right shoulder. If everything looks fine, Wang could be throwing minor league games by April or May. What I wonder is whether that timeframe is worth a potential $5.5, $6 million gamble. That’s what the Yankees would be doing by offering him arbitration. The alternative is to not tender him a contract, meaning he’d be a free agent. There are no guarantees then.
I’ve heard some people say that the Yankees have mistreated Chien-Ming, but I don’t really see it. Maybe it’s because the observation is from afar, but it seems like they did the reasonable thing. Wang had an injury history, missing all of 2001 and part of 2005 with shoulder issues. Instead of signing him to a long-term deal, they went year to year. Unfortunately for Wang, that decision worked out for the Yankees. Now they get to make a decision on how he fits into their future.
There’s no downplaying Wang’s contributions to the Yankees from 2005 through the start of 2008. He stood out during the years when the team’s pitching was thin. It would be rough to see him go, especially because we know what he can contribute. In an off-season that many think will be light for the Yankees, the decision on Wang could stand out.
Open Thread: Careful what you say
Posted by: | CommentsAs promised yesterday, today’s Open Thread is dedicated to ribbing people who made some poor comments about the Yankees this season. I’ll try to leave out the trollish comments, since that’s to be expected of a troll. That is, unless it’s too good to pass up.
To start we’ll venture off this blog and over to LoHud, where Pete Abraham was in charge. On March 25, he had this to say.
I would suggest that if the Yankees did not have Alex, they would be far more likely to win over the long term. His 24 + 1 mentality is not conducive to championship play. I realize it’s spring training, but the Yankees have looked terrific. They’re a much better team when they aren’t sitting around waiting for him to hit a home run.
I’m surely not the last one who has pointed this out. Pete’s definitely hearing it from all ends today about this.
(And don’t forget the since-removed Ian O’Connor article on why the Yankees are better off with Cody Ransom than A-Rod.)
How would the Yankees have fared this postseason without Hideki Matsui? I’m glad I don’t have to ponder that too long. But if pc69 had any say in the matter, the Yankees would have DFA’d Matsui in June.
“I know I will catch all kinds of shit for this but Matsui is done and is liability to this team. Just DFA him and pay him his money.”
Sorry, pc69, but as Matt ACTY/BDD said, that’s just monumentally stupid.
From the same thread, Andrew said, “Even if this team makes the playoffs, they are going nowhere.” Oops.
Later that month, when talking about the Yankees performance with runners in scoring position, YankeeScribe said: “The offense lacks balance. I blame Brian Cashman…” It’s chic to blame Cashman, I guess. Sorry, YankeeScribe, but this was a pretty well-balanced offensive attack.
Garry, after the Yanks lost their second game to the Nats, said, “This is not a championship team. End of story.” Glad you’re not the one writing it, bro.
The fire Kevin Long comments always make me chuckle.
Ace, you are so wrong it’s painful. “The Red Sox are a flat-out better team than the Yankees in every facet of the game.” It does get better. On June 29th, he said, “I’d rather give Shelly, who is having a monster power year in AAA, a shot at DHing than have Matsui taking up a roster spot to fail at the only job he is physically able to perform.” He also asked us to come back at the end of August and “we’ll see how your precious Matsui is faring then.” Pretty damn well, Ace. Pretty damn well.
We’ll end this with a comment from yesterday. Yes, at 11:16 a.m. on the day that the Yankees would eventually win their 27th World Series title, Virginia Yankee said, “girardi has recreated 2004.” For the commenters, this gets the biggest oaktag of the season. I still need to ban this guy, I guess, as per my promise.
This took way too long, and there are surely lots more poor comments lingering in older threads. If you want to add to this, use the search function to the right and post what you find in the comments (with links, which are the time stamp).
Manager by day, good Samaritan by night
Posted by: | CommentsPut yourself in Joe Girardi’s shoes. A year after missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons, you lead your team to a World Series title. It’s after 2 a.m., and you’re on your way home to your wife and children (though they’re almost certainly sleeping). But on the way home, after a DUI checkpoint, you see a car crashed into a wall on the highway. What do you do? If you’re Joe Girardi, you stop and make sure everything’s all right. Not only that, but you run across the highway to do so. What a guy, that Joe Girardi.
It is late. I am finally getting sleeply
Posted by: | CommentsThis is your only warning. If you posted something ridiculously stupid during the season, expect to be called out for it tomorrow. That concludes your championship evening. Prepare for your championship Thursday.
The Yankees signed him to be the ace
Posted by: | CommentsAnd throughout the season, he was just that. Soak it in, CC. It’s why they brought you here.
He deserved it
Posted by: | CommentsMy father said many times that A-Rod would never win a title with the Yankees. At 4:11 EST on the morning of the Yankees’ 27th championship, I’d like to rub it in.
