Archive for News
News roundup: Jim Leyritz, Mark Teixeira, Mo, sports media
Posted by: | CommentsA few news items of note on an afternoon before a long weekend:
- Another sad story comes our way concerning Jim Leyritz. The former Yankee and former MLB.com personality has been arrested on charges of domestic abuse. Leyritz’s ex-wife Karrie called the police after Jim, according to the Sun-Sentinel report, “dragged her out of bed, struck her twice and pushed her on the floor.” The Miami Herald has a different take on the situation. Leyritz’s lawyer denies the assault, and police say the former Mrs. Leyritz changed her story a few hours after initially reporting it to the police. Leyritz goes on trial Sept. 14 for his 2007 DUI arrest following an accident that left another driver dead.
- At 11:59 p.m. this evening All Star Game balloting ends, and as of earlier this week, Mark Teixeira found himself just 40,000 votes behind Kevin Youkilis for the AL’s first base slot. Head on over to MLB.com to vote. Yankee fans can vote for Teixeira 25 times per e-mail address, and while you’re at it, vote for Ian Kinsler too. He’s holding onto a very slim lead over Dustin Pedroia.
- Joe Posnanski has profiled Mariano Rivera. Do you need to know anything more about it? Just read the article.
- From around the Yankee Blogosphere: Rebecca looks at some top MLBers who had success at AA. The Jesus Montero buzz is building. Fack Youk revisits Dave Righetti’s Independence Day no hitter and wonders what could have been if the Yanks hadn’t moved Righetti to the pen. Sound familiar?
- Finally, for the sports journalism junkies among us, Harvard’ Nieman Journalism Lab just wrapped up a four-part series on the shifting media power in sports. With more teams forming regional sports networks, more leagues creating their own TV networks complete with allegedly unbiased news coverage and more blogs gaining readers every day as newspapers see their circulation numbers decline, the world of sports journalism is undergoing something of a paradigm shift. In the series at NJL, Justin Rice focuses mostly on baseball to explore how sports coverage has responded to and embraced the Internet and where sports media is going.
Mo earns Player of the Week honors for RBI walk
Posted by: | CommentsFresh off of his first-ever career RBI, Mariano Rivera took home Player of the Week honors this week. He will share the award with Jermaine Dye who went 12 for 24 on the week but had just five more RBI than Mo. Rivera is being recognized by MLB for his courageous at-bat against Francisco Rodriguez last night. Just the third regular season plate appearance of Mo’s long and illustrious career, it ended on the seventh pitch as Rivera drew a walk with the bases loaded. A few minutes later, Rivera became just the second pitcher to record 500 career saves.
In other Rivera-related news, Rebecca Glass reports that current Sirius XM host and one-time Red Sox manager knew Mo was special as early as 1996. The Statistician Magician, also a Red Sox fan, salutes Rivera as well. When Mo is eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame, I plan on going to the ceremony. I’ve seen two other induction ceremonies, but his will be truly special.
Heyman on the Yanks: Nady, Girardi
Posted by: | CommentsOver the weekend, Jon Heyman has chimed in with two Yankee-centric items of note. Let’s break them down.
First, in a piece about the best and worst free agent signings, Heyman checks in on Xavier Nady’s prognosis. Heyman wonders about Nady’s future: “One person said first surgeries have close to a 90 percent success ratio while second surgeries are as low as 20 percent.”
Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus had a different take in Friday’s Under the Knife. Carroll said that Nady “should be fine” for Spring Training. Nady, clearly, isn’t a pitcher and should have a slightly different rehab path. Unless the scar tissue presents a problem, I don’t see why Heyman’s source would be right.
In another piece, Heyman handicaps the managers on the hot seat. Girardi, says Heyman, won’t be fired this year no matter the ups and downs of the Yankee season. He will however have to get the team into the playoffs.
Heyman notes that Girardi is the “handpicked successor to the legendary Joe Torre.” While Girardi is under contract for next season, Yankee officials higher up in the food chain than Cashman may not be keen to welcome Girardi back in 2010 if the Yanks can’t make the playoffs this year. They didn’t spend all of that money this winter to stay home in October.
Quick Hits: Nady, A-Rod, Jeter, Andy Phillips
Posted by: | CommentsA few quick notes a few hours before the Yanks and Mets square off in an overhyped Subway Series. It’s the last weekend of Interleague play.
- Joe Girardi appeared on the FAN this afternoon to chat about the state of the Yankees. While he didn’t come out and flat-out state that Xavier Nady will not be returning this year, the Yankees are not counting on any further contributions from the X Man. Nady is off to see Dr. Lewis Yocum in California, and an announcement concerning surgery will come soon after that. Nady should be ready for Spring Training, no matter where the free agent-to-be lands this winter. Jose Tabata, by the way, is hitting .258/.333/.320 at AA. Still young for his level, Tabata has stalled out a bit in his development.
- Also on the FAN, Girardi said that the team will not carry three catchers when Jose Molina is ready to return. Molina’s return isn’t yet on the horizon; he is still building up strength in his legs. When he gets back, Francisco Cervelli will return to AAA for regular playing time.
- Just one week after the Yanks benched A-Rod due to fatigue in his surgically-repaired hip and promised to give him regular rest, the team appears to be backing away from that plan. A-Rod has started four straight games, and the Yankees won’t rest him against the Mets. “It’s our home city, and I think our guys enjoy the Subway Series,” Girardi said yesterday. “Alex feels good, feels like he’s got a lot of energy in his legs. He feels good, so we’ll let him keep going.” Fack Youk takes the team to task for straying from the plan less than a week into it, and without knowing more details about this decision, I’m inclined to agree with the critique.
- Derek can now run for President. Today is Cap’n Jeter’s 35th birthday. It seems as though he made his Major League debut just yesterday when in fact it was fourteen years ago on May 29, 1995. The Yankees were in Seattle, and Jeter went 0 for 5 that day. Scott Bankhead drew the loss after allowing a lead-off home run to Rich Amaral in the bottom of the 12th inning.
- Finally, news on an old friend: Former Yankee farmhand Andy Phillips has signed to play in Japan. Phillips, who has bounced around the league since leaving the Bronx, will earn $400,000 to play for the Hiroshima Carp.
Some pre-game stuff
Posted by: | CommentsJust a couple of items of note before we get to the game tonight:
- When the lineup was posted today, Melky was playing right and batting sixth. Rob Thompson then took down the lineup, and Nick Swisher went into a closed-door meeting with Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi. When they emerged, the lineup went back up, with Swisher in place of Melky.
- All of the hitters were later called into a meeting. Does anyone like meetings? I guess they kill time, but they usually accomplish little else.
- CC threw a bullpen and declared himself fine to start on Friday against the Mets. So that’s one less thing to worry about.
- Xavier Nady is starting in right for Scranton tonight.
- I laughed a bit at this.
In-market Yankees streaming broadcasts available in July
Posted by: | CommentsWhen we first heard of YES and Cablevision offering streaming Yankees games in-market earlier this month, it was pretty exciting. As it stands, you cannot stream Yankees games via MLB.tv if you are in-market. It’s understandable, at least under normal circumstances. If MLB.tv allowed in-market broadcasts, I certainly wouldn’t have cable TV. That’s not only lost revenue for cable companies, but for YES and other stations, since cable companies pay them per subscriber. Of course, this new deal wasn’t coming without a catch: you have to be a Cablevision subscriber, using Cablevision Internet to access the broadcasts. So right away it’s not as awesome.
Today we learn of some further details on the deal. Right off the bat we get another downside: it’s going to cost you, to the tune of $49.95 for the rest of the 2009 season, or $19.94 for 30 days. If the experiment is successful and carries over into 2010, expect that to cost you $100 for the whole year. That is, of course, on top of your current TV and Internet bills.
While the price seems steep — especially if you’re already paying for MLB.tv on top of it — there are certainly some practical uses for it. For instance, my parents like to spend time together by watching movies three or four nights a week. Yet my dad, who is as die-hard a fan as they come, has to miss games because of this. If he were willing to pony up the $100 — which he is most certainly not — he could stream the game on his laptop while watching the movie. Best of both worlds.
Even so, I don’t foresee this plan being too popular. Beyond the desire to watch other program and the Yankees game at the same time, there aren’t too many practical uses for streaming video that’s already in TV while you’re in your house. Maybe the use of Optimum Wi-Fi will add to the draw, though most of the hotspots seem to be on Long Island (they’re in NJ at the train station, but how long are you going to be waiting at a train station during a Yankees game?).
Anyway, this all begins on July 8 for the Yankees-Twins game. You can learn more and sign up at Optimum.net. I’m truly interested to hear if anyone plans to purchase this package, and why.
Yankees not interested in Pedro
Posted by: | CommentsI think we can wrap up the ongoing saga of Pedro Martinez. According to GAKIII’s sources, the Yankees will be passing on Pedro. As previously reported, the Yankees were interested in using Pedro for depth if he would take a Minor League contract. Martinez though has stressed his desire for a Major League deal and a spot in a team’s rotation. These were clearly incongruous demands. Meanwhile, if no teams are interested in hiring the one-time flamethrower who now sits at 86-90 with his fastball, he says he will become a swimsuit model. That I would not love to see.
Midday rumor round-up: Pedro, Papelbon
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday afternoon, we examined the news that the Yanks plan to watch Pedro pitch today. The team could always use another arm, and I said yesterday, it doesn’t hurt to kick the tires.
Ken Davidoff and Steve Zipay have a little bit more info on the Yanks’ interesting the former Met hurler. While Pedro wants a prorated $5-million deal, the team would sign Pedro only to a Minor League contract. Odds are slim that the Yanks’ one-time arch-nemesis — and prodigal son — lands in the Bronx.
In other rumor news that’s making its way across the Yankees’ corner of the Internet, when asked about being a free agent, Jonathan Papelbon, a shrewd businessman, did not rule out the Yanks. Speaking on Sirius XM’s MLB Home Plate channel, he expounded on his thoughts on pitching in pinstripes:
“Oh, of course. I mean, I think if we can’t come to an agreement on terms here in a Red Sox uniform, I mean, I think that’s pretty much the writing on the wall. If they can’t come to terms with you they’re letting you know that, ‘Hey you know what? We can go somewhere else.’ And I think it’s the same way on the other side, ‘Hey if ya’ll can’t come to an agreement with me then I can go somewhere else.’ Not only in the Bronx, but anywhere. I think anywhere is a possibility.You always have to keep that in the back of your mind because you can’t just be one-sided and think that, ‘Oh I’m going to be in a Red Sox uniform my entire career.’ Because nowadays that is very, very rare and hopefully we can because there’s no question I would love to stay in a Boston Red Sox uniform but I have to do what’s best for me and play in an atmosphere where I’m wanted and play on a team where I’m wanted and that’s all I can really say about that, you know?”
For Papelbon, as it is with hundreds of other MLB players, it’s all about the money. For him to say he would never pitch in the Bronx is to give up a prime bargaining chip. I doubt though that Yankee fans would ever have to stomach the sight of Papelbon dancing some dumb jig in his Yankee skivvies.
Quick Hits: Teixeira, Nady, Mel Hall
Posted by: | CommentsUpdated 1:54 p.m. with Mel Hall news: We’ve got a few short items for a mid-morning wrap-up. Let’s jump in.
Youkilis jumps out to slim All Star Game lead over Teixeira
Starting with bad news, we find out that Kevin Youkilis holds a 1,314-vote lead over Mark Teixeira for the All Star Game. While Youkilis is definitely worthy of the start — perhaps more so than Teixeira by a slim margin — the Yankee fan in me doesn’t want to see some Red Sox player starting for the AL at first base. So Yankee fans, let’s get on that. Vote here for Teixeira. Vote early. Vote often. This injustice will not stand.
Nady making rehab progress
From exhibition games to injuries, we turn our attention to the rehabbing Yankee outfielder Xavier Nady. According to NJ.com’s Colin Stephenson, Nady has ramped up his throwing program. He threw from around 100 feet prior to last night’s game and will do so again today. After this afternoon’s session, the Yankees will determine whether Nady will stick with the team or return to Tampa to finish his rehab. There is still no timetable for his return.
In a way, Nady presents an interesting case for the Yankees. The team is committed to bringing him back only when he can be a viable on-field contributor. With Hideki Matsui limited to DH duties, the team doesn’t need another no-field player impacting their roster flexibility.
The only question about Nady’s return concerns the roster move. Who goes down when Nady comes up? Most likely, Angel Berroa will be the odd man out. He has amassed a whopping five plate appearances over the team’s last 31 games and doesn’t do much in the field. He’s pure dead weight and should have been jettisoned a while ago. That leaves the Yankees a little outfield-heavy on the bench, but I’m OK with that.
Mel Hall convicted on charges of sex abuse
In March 1989, Dave Winfield went down with a back injury, and the Yankees had an outfield void to fill. They attempted to do so by acquiring an overrated Mel Hall. While the team attempted to spin the move as a positive, Hall was an underwhelming contributor who managed to stick around for four years. He hit .273/.303/.437 for the Yanks from 1989-1992 and was out of the Big Leagues and in Japan until attempting an American comeback with the Giants in 1996.
Two years ago, he was arrested on allegations of sexual abuse, and his trial took off this week when his accuser took the stand. The Associated Press has the details, and they are disturbing. If convicted, Hall could face a life in jail.
Update: It seems that Hall was found guilty as well. The jury took 90 minutes to convict him, and sentencing will continue today and tomorrow.
Quick Links: YES ratings, fan rankings and more
Posted by: | CommentsI have a few Yankees articles open in various browser tabs. Time for a link dump of Yankee news and features.
We start with the YES Network and their ratings. As the Yankees were rolling over the competition en route to a finish in first place in May, the team’s RSN found itself enjoying record-setting ratings. YES averaged a 4.50 household rating in the New York area for the month. This mark is a record for a New York-based RSN broadcasting baseball, and in lay terms, it means simply that a lot of people are watching the Yanks on TV. Welcome to the bandwagon, friends.
Despite this popularity, in a new study, Forbes ranked Yankee fans in the middle of the pack in terms of value. By dividing broadcast revenue, gate receipts, sponsorship money and other revenue sources over fan base population, Forbes has ranked baseball teams by the amount per fan they draw in. The Yankees draw in just $45 per fan.
Forbes’ writer Christina Settimi called that a “middling” total, but their equation seems flawed to me. Calling the entire population of a metropolitan area the potential fanbase ignores the reality that the vast majority of city dwellers just aren’t interested or can’t go to games. How much the Yankees draw in per fan at the game and through their TV and radio broadcasts would be a far better measure of fan value.
In non-business news, the entire country of Taiwan has been living the ups and downs of Chien-Ming Wang’s rocky season. Marc Carig interviewed various people from the Wang-crazed nation, and it’s clear that the islanders did not like how the Yankees treated their struggling hero. It’s hard to grasp just how big a deal Chien-Ming Wang is in Taiwan.
Finally, check out the new photoblog Demolition of Yankee Stadium. Yankee fan Joe Mazziliano is running the oft-updated site with pictures from the destruction of the House that Ruth Built. He promises fresh content until the replacement parks are open, and with photos from inside and outside of the stadium, his site provides a visual log of the final days of Yankee Stadium.
