Archive for Asides
Light rumors for late Saturday afternoon
Posted by: | CommentsMike was on duty at MLBTR today, and he found a few Yankee rumors. Nothing big, just some basic stuff on the Yankees’ free agent decisions. Check that out for starters; it has items regarding Matsui, Damon, and Jeter.
Later in the day, Drew Silva linked to a bit by Tim Kurkjian with a few Yankee bits. He thinks that the Yanks will let both Damon and Matsui walk, replacing their production with Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. I’m not sure I agree with this at all. He also mentions that we should “look for the Yankees to re-sign [Andy Pettitte] for at least one year.” That would be ideal.
Thanking those behind the scenes
Posted by: | CommentsWinning a World Championship takes more than just 25 guys and a manager. It takes smart player development, hordes of both pro and amateur scouts, countless medical personal, plus many, many more. Bob Elliot spoke to Yanks scouting director Damon Oppenheimer, who noted the way GM Brian Cashman took the time to pop champagne and toast everyone who made this thing happen after the last out was recording Game Six. Buster Olney talks about it even more in his blog post today, and also mentions all the contributions the team got from those behind the scenes during their title run.
They’re both great reads, so make sure you check ‘em out.
RAB on the radio … again
Posted by: | CommentsJust a heads up, I’m going to be on The Sports Show Live with Joey Hayward tonight to talk about the Yanks. I’m calling in at 9:30, and you can listen here. Do it fool!
Buster Olney thinks Andy Pettitte is a good fit for the 2010 Yankees
Posted by: | CommentsOn the heels of his gritty and gutty and playing the game the right wayeyey performance in Game Six of the World Series, Buster Olney thinks it’s a lock that the Yankees will offer Andy Pettitte arbitration this offseason. Pettitte’s base salary was just $5.5M in 2009, but he took home over $10M thanks to incentives, so that’s what a potential arbitration case will be based on.
Pettitte projects as a Type-B free agent, but he may creep up into Type-A status when the official rankings come out because he’s right at the cutoff. I thought the Yanks should offer Andy arbitration last year (they didn’t), and I definitely think they should do so again this year.
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.
Heyman: Yanks may be willing to offer Damon two years
Posted by: | CommentsVia MLBTR, Jon Heyman mentions that the Yankees “were believed willing to go for two years and $16 million” for Johnny Damon, but that was before the postseason. Damon’s recent heroics surely have bumped up his price just a bit. Regardless, two guaranteed years for Damon is nuts because just a week or so ago he looked fried amidst a two-month long slump. The Yanks would be wise to limit their offer to one guaranteed year, with an option, to not only reduce risk but to maintain roster flexibility beyond 2010.
Two years at $8M per for Johnny D? That one doesn’t pass the sniff test.
Unsurprisingly, it’s Pettitte for Game Six
Posted by: | CommentsVia Mark Carig, the Yankees will hand the ball to Andy Pettitte on three days’ rest in Game Six tomorrow night. This should surprise no one; the writing’s been on the wall for weeks. Carig notes that Pettitte feels physically fine, which is always a plus. Pettitte has not made a start on three days’ rest since Sept. 30, 2006 when he was on the Astros. A full list of Andy’s starts on three days is available here.
Andy was on the mound the last time the Yankees clinched a World Championship. Here’s to hoping he repeats the trick tomorrow night.
A man and his bridge
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s only a matter of time before Derek Jeter is somehow immortalized in New York. Surely he’ll get his plaque in Monument Park. Maybe he’ll get a street named after him, or a wing in a hospital or something like that. But what about a bridge?
Bronx leaders are trying to get the soon-to-be-built East 153rd St. bridge named after the Yankee captain, with borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. saying “There have been conversations at the community board, and I know the idea is being examined. The 512-ft long bridge will connect the Metro North tracks at East 153rd St. and Grand Concourse.
It’s not quite the Joe D. Highway, but pretty cool nonetheless.
2009 World Series Game Five chat reminder
Posted by: | CommentsYou guys know the routine, so I’ll spare you the shtick. See you at 1pm ET.
Oh, make sure you check out my Game Five recap at YES, as well as my short appearance on Drunk Jays Fans’ podcast. It was recorded Sunday night, so it might seem a little outdated, but you get to listen to me try to talk over those three drunken hosers, which is fun.
