- The Columbus Blue Jackets missed a golden opportunity. Their star, Rick Nash, demanded a trade. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson made a bad decision not trading the unhappy Nash. I won't say Nash will quit on the team, he doesn't appear to be that kind of player. However, New York Rangers GM, according to a twitter post by WFAN's Brian Monzo, offered Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, J.T. Miller, Christian Thomas, and a first round draft pick. Those are some very nice pieces for the Blue Jackets to build around. Now, he is stuck with a disgruntled forward for the rest of the year on a team that is going nowhere.
- Remember when Joel Zumaya wowed the baseball world with his 100 MPH fastball? If you don't, you have good reason. Zumaya burst onto the scene in 2006, pitching to a 1.94 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and recorded 93 strikeouts in 83.1 innings. Then the injuries started and he never appeared in more than 31 games in any season, the 31 came in 2010. He missed all of last season and, his 2012 campaign is already over after 13 pitchers. He will need to have Tommy John surgery, or elbow ligament replacement surgery. He is now mulling retirement according to an ESPN.com report. Zumaya has had a myriad of issues with his health. It's not like it has been one area. He has missed time with elbow, foot, shoulder, and finger issues. He once hurt himself moving boxes in his father's attic. He also played the video game Guitar Hero so much that he suffered an injury and missed the 2006 American League Championship Series. This guy is not very lucky.
- Terry Francona needs to keep his mouth shut. He is no longer the Red Sox manager and he needs to stop undermining new manager Bobby Valentine. Valentine recently banned beer in the Red Sox clubhouse, something he has done at other managerial stops in the past. Francona then goes "Mike and Mike" on ESPN radio and says it is a PR ploy and could backfire. The only thing that backfired Terry was the Red Sox last year. You are no longer the manager, so just shut up, accept the fact you were at the helm of one of the worst collapses in baseball history and oversaw what appears to be a dysfunctional clubhouse. Be thankful you were lucky enough to get a gig commenting on baseball but don't abuse that gift, and that's really what it is, by badmouthing your replacement. There was no reason for him to say anything. Why not say something about the 19 other teams around the league that have a similar policy? Oh, he didn't get fired by any of them.
- So let me get this straight, Ryan Braun is clean because his triple-sealed drug test was in one place for too long, showed no evidence of being tampered with, and I'm supposed to believe this guy was clean all along? Color me skeptical. OK, so the guy had the test for too long, yet doctors say that wouldn't affect his test. Temperature wouldn't affect his test. I might be jaded by the fact that everyone seemed to be doing steroids or some other performance enhancer at the turn of the century but Braun's reasoning that an STD forced him to take something that spiked his testosterone just doesn't seem to hold water. Now, he has to stay clean the rest of his career and keep producing at the level he was in order for me to believe him. This is what these players have done to themselves. Just because you got off on a technicality doesn't mean anything, nor does your willingness to take a retest 3 months after the positive test.
- How does Nicki Minaj keep getting the chance to do events. If I recall correctly she put in a poor performance at the Super Bowl, made the entire world scratch their heads during the Grammy's and was still invited to perform at the NBA All-Star game. I'm willing to bet she doesn't get another invite to a sporting event though.
- Speaking of the NBA All-Star game, ummm, yeah, so apparently they played it and the West won. I am beginning to think the only All-Star game worth a damn is MLB's and even then it isn't great but at least they know how to celebrate the game and it means something even if it shouldn't. The second best All-Star game is the NHL's where the skills competition had star power and skill on display. The NFL and NBA don't even rank anywhere close to the other two.
- The Nationals signed star third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman to a six-year extension. These ain't the expos anymore folks. The Nationals are supported by their fanbase and the team is investing in that fanbase by keeping star players around. It should be fun to see Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, and a slew of others in the next few years. Zimmerman could be a National until 2020. I don't think I ever remember that kind of stability from the franchise formerly known as the Expos.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Some Crazy (or not) Baseball Predictions for the 2012 Season
Spring Training is under way. The warm rays of the sun are beaming down
upon our favorite teams as they ready themselves for the 2012 baseball
season. Here are some of my predictions
for this upcoming season:
-
Manny Ramirez will not finish the season
in the Major Leagues.
-
Clay Rapada will see time in the Majors
this season with the New York Yankees.
-
Michael Pineda will win 17 games for the
Yankees.
-
The Mets will finish with one more win
than the Cubs with 72 wins. They will be
third worst team in the National League.
-
Johan Santana will make an appearance at
Citi Field this year. He will also spend
a significant amount of time on the DL.
-
Mark Teixeira will hit .280.
-
C.C. Sabathia will win 20 games for the
Yankees.
-
Phil Hughes will win the fifth starter
spot, go on the DL, and win 12 games while showing he still has talent.
-
The Washington Nationals will be in the
race for a playoff spot. They will win
the Wild Card.
-
Curtis Granderson won’t hit 40 homers
again this year but 37 homers isn’t a huge drop-off.
-
The Texas Rangers still have plenty of
offense and will make the playoffs but get bounced out in the first round.
-
The Boston Red Sox will fail to make the
playoffs for a second straight year.
-
Prince Fielder will find that his new
home digs are not as friendly as Miller Park.
He will hit over .300, 30 homers, and drive in 118. He will finish second in the MVP race.
-
Jose Reyes will stay healthy for most of
the season, leaving Mets fans to lament that he would be healthy for another
team only to hurt his hamstring in September and miss the team’s playoff run. The Marlins will fall short and the Phillies
will pass them.
-
Bryce Harper will be in the Majors this
season, flash some power but show he isn’t quite ready for the Big-Time
yet.
-
Stephen Strasburg will headline a
rotation of Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, John Lannan, and Edwin Jackson
which will be one of the best in baseball surprisingly.
-
Justin Verlander will not win a second
Cy Young and he won’t win his second MVP.
-
Jacoby Ellsbury will not hit 30+ homers
again, and will struggle to hit .300.
-
Raul Ibanez will hit 20 homers for the
Yankees while having an OBP lower than Mark Teixeira’s batting average.
-
The Atlanta Braves will make the
playoffs. They will win the NL
East. The Phillies will actually finish
third in the division behind the Nats and they will make the playoffs under the
new format. The Braves and Nats make the
statement that this is now their division.
-
Mike Stanton of the Marlins will hit 40
homers.
-
Josh Johnson of the Marlins will look
like a Cy Young contender but his health will sabotage him.
-
A.J. Burnett will win 15 games for the
Pirates and strike out 190-210 batters leaving Yankee fans scratching their
heads.
-
Buster Posey will be a force this season.
-
Joe Mauer will make people question his
future behind the plate.
-
The Houston Astros will lose 103 games.
It is not going to be pretty.
-
I will not be the next owner of the
Dodgers and neither will you.
-
Adam Wainwright will be the reason the
Cardinals make the playoffs again this year.
-
Pitching at PETCO Park will make Huston
Street look like the best closer in baseball.
At least for a month or two.
-
Madison Bumgarner will win more games
for the Giants than Tim Lincecum. So
will Matt Cain.
-
Jim Thome will still put up very nice
offensive numbers but his play at first base will show teams why he has been a
DH/pinch hitter for the last few years.
-
The Reds are a team on the rise. They will flirt with the playoffs and could
make them if Adam Wainwright falters in his comeback.
-
Alex Rodriguez will hit 31 home runs,
drive in over 100, and hit .278.
-
Derek Jeter will hit .308. He will score 117 runs.
-
Albert Pujols will get off to a slow
start then hit .322.
-
Miguel Cabrera will not enjoy his move
to third base. The Tigers won’t either.
-
Matt Kemp will put up better numbers
than he did last year. He might even win
the MVP this time.
-
Jose Bautista will crack 50 homers
again, the last year he does it.
-
Ryan Braun will move past the whole
steroid thing and put up very nice numbers but not monster numbers like last
year leaving many to speculate whether he misses Prince or PED’s.
-
Starlin Castro will continue to impress
people. He will also continue to baffle
them with his lackadaisical play.
-
Carl Crawfod will play better but his
numbers will still pale to those he put up in Tampa leading many to wonder
about his future in Boston.
-
The Angels will be one of the best teams
in baseball. It won’t be all Pujols
either. Their rotation is among the best
in the game.
-
Jason Bay will hit 20 homers.
-
R.A. Dickey will lead the Mets with 13
wins. Johan will win 10, Pelfrey 11.
-
The Mets will trade Jon Rauch before the
trade deadline.
And that’s all I got for now.
Friday, February 24, 2012
This and That and the Other Thing
- Is there anyone more respectable than Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski? I mean seriously, is there? How can you not root for the guy? There are no recruiting scandals to speak of. No players getting into trouble with the law. A nationally ranked team almost every year he has coached and players that tend to graduate one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Sports Illustrated was right to have named him and Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt "Sportspeople of the Year." We are talking about two class individuals who focus on their players/students more than they do on winning. Winning is secondary to them yet seems to come so easily. I can think of no one other than Coach K to lead our Men's Olympic basketball team. The guy is total class, and all he knows is winning. He represents all that is good in the game of college basketball. Even people who hate Duke have to respect what Coach K has done.
-Ryan Braun was found to be innocent of using performance enhancing drugs. For me, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Among them are, what caused the spike in testosterone levels? Was it mishandling of the evidence or something else? How did this story leak to the media when the results of these tests are supposed to be private until MLB confirms them? Why is that nobody seems accountable on any end of this story? My personal opinion, I am glad Braun was found innocent, yet I find myself hoping he really is and didn't get off on a technicality. Hopefully MLB learned from this mess and it, it's fanbase, and the players can move forward.
- Speaking of performance enhancing drugs, has Manny Ramirez tested positive yet?
- How popular is Jermey Lin? He made the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second straight week. To be honest, I don't think that has ever happened before. If it has please correct me. He is the first Knick to grace the cover since 2002 when Othella Harrington was being posterized by the Wizards Michael Jordan and the first Knick since 1999 to make the cover as something other than a stooge when Latrell Sprewell made the cover. I don't know about you but I find that amazing.
- According to ESPN.com, teams are engaging the St. Louis Rams in talks regarding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 Draft. The Rams, not in the market for a QB would be wise to trade down if offered the right package. The Rams are a team with lost of holes and if they can obtain extra draft picks to fill them then they would be wise to do so. It is speculated that teams engaging the Rams in talks are those in need of a quarterback who want the chance to draft Robert Griffin III, who some believe to be the next Cam Newton. I say "some" because I need to see more out of the Heisman winning QB. The talent is there in Griffin but I still have questions. Hell, I have questions about every QB in every draft so take that for what it's worth.
- A lot has been made of Jeremy Lin and his receiving attention because he is Asian. Personally, I don't find race to be an issue. I don't care if you are even from this planet. When you put up numbers like Lin has in your first few games as a starter everyone should take notice. Floyd Mayweather, however, thinks he speaks for all black athletes when he criticized all of the attention being paid to Lin. I personaly called him a racist on Twitter and told him I couldn't wait until he got knocked out. There was no response. Mr. Mayweather, you are a boxer, not a spokesperson for NBA players and not a spokesperson for the African-American community. throw some punches then shut up, period. It seems in recent years everyone is all too eager to throw around the "racism" line when someone disagrees with someone of another race. This is the United States of America. We may not have the most spotless past but we can determine our future and as long as we identify as races, religion, or even heritage first we will never survive as a country. It is time to think of ourselves as American first and be happy for everyone who meets with success, regardless of race, religion, heritage, or sexual orientation. Stop the stupidity, start with the unity!
- It is hard to believe Danica Patrick will only be 30 years-old next month. It feels like she has been around forever in racing. It probably feels like it has been forever since Danica is featured in just about every sports magazine, from story to advertisement and everywhere in between. Not even the best NASCAR drivers have the kind of endorsements she has. Some may say it is based on her being a woman. I say it is because she is an attractive woman who happens to race. Are my comments sexist? Maybe slightly, but sex sells. It also doesn't hurt that she is the "underdog" in a sport dominated by men. Americans love the underdog and she will remain the underdog until she wins a NASCAR race.
- Roy Oswalt announced yesterday that he is willing to pull a Roger Clemens an sign with a contender in mid-season. I find it hard to believe that there isn't one team out there that is willing to take on a pitcher with Oswalt's track record. Sure, he has some injury history but he has to be worth a shot, right? My bet it he signs with Texas after one injury to Texas' starters or an ineffective beginning to one of their back end guys.
- Speaking of Texas, the Rangers announced that Yu Darvish isn't here to "play around." No kidding!?!?! You mean he will take his job as a starting pitcher seriously? Wow!
- That sound you heard last night was the Los Angeles Kings getting better. They acquired C Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets for D Jack Johnson and a first-rounder. Johnson is a good defenseman who can help on both sides of the puck but Jeff Carter can, if on his game, become an elite scorer out west. Good trade for both teams. Carter makes a ton of money but should give the Kings the bump they need into the playoffs and become a threat once there. I don't think they stand a shot of getting in the way of the Red Wings or Canucks but they could do some damage.
- It will be interesting to see if the Carter trade has any impact on the Blue Jackets desire to trade Rick Nash. I think they will still trade him and continue the rebuilding process but only if they get a decent package in return.
- Staying with the NHL, my NHL MVP, or Hart Trophy winner, is Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He also happen to be my Vezina Trophy winner for best goaltender. He is the best Rangers goalie I have seen in my lifetime and that covers Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck, both of whom won Stanley Cups, albeit Beezer won with the Panthers.
- There is no truth to the rumor that the new his and her scents from the New York Yankees will mirror how well the team is playing. Nothing says die-hard like smelling like crap when your team is playing like it. I am a die-hard Yankees fan but won't be lining up to buy this unless it smells good. Even then I don't think I would buy it. When I think about a sports related scent I immediately think sweat and locker room. Then again, I could be wrong. However, I am skeptical since the only thing from the old Yankee Stadium not to show up on Steiner Sports were the bathroom accoutrements. I hope the Yankees didn't use them in this new cologne/perfume. Nothing says "I love my team" like smelling like their bathrooms!
- That's all folks. Working on my MLB 2012 predictions, or, as I like to call them...my 2012 I'm wrong predictions.
-Ryan Braun was found to be innocent of using performance enhancing drugs. For me, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Among them are, what caused the spike in testosterone levels? Was it mishandling of the evidence or something else? How did this story leak to the media when the results of these tests are supposed to be private until MLB confirms them? Why is that nobody seems accountable on any end of this story? My personal opinion, I am glad Braun was found innocent, yet I find myself hoping he really is and didn't get off on a technicality. Hopefully MLB learned from this mess and it, it's fanbase, and the players can move forward.
- Speaking of performance enhancing drugs, has Manny Ramirez tested positive yet?
- How popular is Jermey Lin? He made the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second straight week. To be honest, I don't think that has ever happened before. If it has please correct me. He is the first Knick to grace the cover since 2002 when Othella Harrington was being posterized by the Wizards Michael Jordan and the first Knick since 1999 to make the cover as something other than a stooge when Latrell Sprewell made the cover. I don't know about you but I find that amazing.
- According to ESPN.com, teams are engaging the St. Louis Rams in talks regarding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 Draft. The Rams, not in the market for a QB would be wise to trade down if offered the right package. The Rams are a team with lost of holes and if they can obtain extra draft picks to fill them then they would be wise to do so. It is speculated that teams engaging the Rams in talks are those in need of a quarterback who want the chance to draft Robert Griffin III, who some believe to be the next Cam Newton. I say "some" because I need to see more out of the Heisman winning QB. The talent is there in Griffin but I still have questions. Hell, I have questions about every QB in every draft so take that for what it's worth.
- A lot has been made of Jeremy Lin and his receiving attention because he is Asian. Personally, I don't find race to be an issue. I don't care if you are even from this planet. When you put up numbers like Lin has in your first few games as a starter everyone should take notice. Floyd Mayweather, however, thinks he speaks for all black athletes when he criticized all of the attention being paid to Lin. I personaly called him a racist on Twitter and told him I couldn't wait until he got knocked out. There was no response. Mr. Mayweather, you are a boxer, not a spokesperson for NBA players and not a spokesperson for the African-American community. throw some punches then shut up, period. It seems in recent years everyone is all too eager to throw around the "racism" line when someone disagrees with someone of another race. This is the United States of America. We may not have the most spotless past but we can determine our future and as long as we identify as races, religion, or even heritage first we will never survive as a country. It is time to think of ourselves as American first and be happy for everyone who meets with success, regardless of race, religion, heritage, or sexual orientation. Stop the stupidity, start with the unity!
- It is hard to believe Danica Patrick will only be 30 years-old next month. It feels like she has been around forever in racing. It probably feels like it has been forever since Danica is featured in just about every sports magazine, from story to advertisement and everywhere in between. Not even the best NASCAR drivers have the kind of endorsements she has. Some may say it is based on her being a woman. I say it is because she is an attractive woman who happens to race. Are my comments sexist? Maybe slightly, but sex sells. It also doesn't hurt that she is the "underdog" in a sport dominated by men. Americans love the underdog and she will remain the underdog until she wins a NASCAR race.
- Roy Oswalt announced yesterday that he is willing to pull a Roger Clemens an sign with a contender in mid-season. I find it hard to believe that there isn't one team out there that is willing to take on a pitcher with Oswalt's track record. Sure, he has some injury history but he has to be worth a shot, right? My bet it he signs with Texas after one injury to Texas' starters or an ineffective beginning to one of their back end guys.
- Speaking of Texas, the Rangers announced that Yu Darvish isn't here to "play around." No kidding!?!?! You mean he will take his job as a starting pitcher seriously? Wow!
- That sound you heard last night was the Los Angeles Kings getting better. They acquired C Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets for D Jack Johnson and a first-rounder. Johnson is a good defenseman who can help on both sides of the puck but Jeff Carter can, if on his game, become an elite scorer out west. Good trade for both teams. Carter makes a ton of money but should give the Kings the bump they need into the playoffs and become a threat once there. I don't think they stand a shot of getting in the way of the Red Wings or Canucks but they could do some damage.
- It will be interesting to see if the Carter trade has any impact on the Blue Jackets desire to trade Rick Nash. I think they will still trade him and continue the rebuilding process but only if they get a decent package in return.
- Staying with the NHL, my NHL MVP, or Hart Trophy winner, is Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He also happen to be my Vezina Trophy winner for best goaltender. He is the best Rangers goalie I have seen in my lifetime and that covers Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck, both of whom won Stanley Cups, albeit Beezer won with the Panthers.
- There is no truth to the rumor that the new his and her scents from the New York Yankees will mirror how well the team is playing. Nothing says die-hard like smelling like crap when your team is playing like it. I am a die-hard Yankees fan but won't be lining up to buy this unless it smells good. Even then I don't think I would buy it. When I think about a sports related scent I immediately think sweat and locker room. Then again, I could be wrong. However, I am skeptical since the only thing from the old Yankee Stadium not to show up on Steiner Sports were the bathroom accoutrements. I hope the Yankees didn't use them in this new cologne/perfume. Nothing says "I love my team" like smelling like their bathrooms!
- That's all folks. Working on my MLB 2012 predictions, or, as I like to call them...my 2012 I'm wrong predictions.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Only Battle of Camp
Now that Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez are in the fold for the Yankees, there remains only one true positional battle for an open roster spot, the last reliever slot. The Yankees can go with several options here. Adam Warren, David Phelps, and D.J. Mitchell are pretty much Major League ready. They could give Joe Girardi innings out of the bullpen. However, it is more likely that a second lefty will be joining Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Rafael Soriano, Cory Wade, and Boone Logan. The Yankees had signed Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal but he failed his physical, voiding the contract. That leaves Rule 5 Draftee Cesar Cabral, a lefty who has spent most of his career as a starter, Clay Rapada, a lefty specialist recently signed to a minor league deal from the Orioles, and Mike O'Connor to battle it out to accompany Boone Logan north. We have to assume that whomever loses the fifth starter battle between Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia will end up in the pen. My money is on Garcia to lose the battle and be the reliever.
There is no guarantee that the spot goes to a left-hander. The Yankees have viable relievers all over the place. George Kontos, who injured an oblique muscle and will be out for either a few days or weeks dependeing on who you talk to, is an option. Adam Miller, once considered a top pitching prospect in the Indians organization is an intriguing possibility. As is former Red Sox Manny Delcarmen. I don't think the Yankees would mess with their young starters like Warren, Phelps, or Mitchell, for a few months of the regular season, not to mention waste on of their options in the process. Instead, I think the Yankees will place someone who has minor league options left in that spot, giving the team flexibility moving forward.
Flexibility is going to be key. Joba Chamberlain and the recently signed David Aardsma, formerly a closer for Seattle, will be back from their Tommy John surgeries at some point in August, give or take a month. Injuries will happen of course and there is always the chance that Cory Wade implodes or Garcia or Hughes don't perform well. Bullpens are finicky like that.
Going forward, I would place my money on Adam Miller. There is talent there and Larry Rothschild should be able to get something out of Miller. I could be wrong and the Yankees see the second lefty as a necessity in which case Cabral will be given every chance to win the job. If he can't Clay Rapada has a good enough track record against lefties that he should be able to walk away the winner. In a year where almost everything is set in stone going forward, the last roster spot in the bullpen will be the only fight worth watching. The Garcia/Hughes undercard isn't as exciting because whoever doesn't win that spot is bullpen bound.
There is no guarantee that the spot goes to a left-hander. The Yankees have viable relievers all over the place. George Kontos, who injured an oblique muscle and will be out for either a few days or weeks dependeing on who you talk to, is an option. Adam Miller, once considered a top pitching prospect in the Indians organization is an intriguing possibility. As is former Red Sox Manny Delcarmen. I don't think the Yankees would mess with their young starters like Warren, Phelps, or Mitchell, for a few months of the regular season, not to mention waste on of their options in the process. Instead, I think the Yankees will place someone who has minor league options left in that spot, giving the team flexibility moving forward.
Flexibility is going to be key. Joba Chamberlain and the recently signed David Aardsma, formerly a closer for Seattle, will be back from their Tommy John surgeries at some point in August, give or take a month. Injuries will happen of course and there is always the chance that Cory Wade implodes or Garcia or Hughes don't perform well. Bullpens are finicky like that.
Going forward, I would place my money on Adam Miller. There is talent there and Larry Rothschild should be able to get something out of Miller. I could be wrong and the Yankees see the second lefty as a necessity in which case Cabral will be given every chance to win the job. If he can't Clay Rapada has a good enough track record against lefties that he should be able to walk away the winner. In a year where almost everything is set in stone going forward, the last roster spot in the bullpen will be the only fight worth watching. The Garcia/Hughes undercard isn't as exciting because whoever doesn't win that spot is bullpen bound.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Just Stuff
- Greg Oden, the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, underwent surgery yesterday. Apparently, the surgery was to clean up debris in his left knee when the doctor found more damage and Oden underwent his third microfracture surgery. He hasn't played since the 2009-2010 season and since the 2008-2009 season has played in exactly 82 games. This guy was supposed to be the best big man in the NBA since David Robertson, or some such nonsense. Instead, he has made the Blazers pine for the days of Sam Bowie. You can't help but feel bad for the guy. Here was a man who was supposed to be the next big thing and the only thing he has done is break everything. The drafting track record of the Portland Trailblazers is unique in the sports landscape. In 1972, they chose LaRue Martin #1 overall. Martin played just 4 seasons before retiring and never averaged more than 5.3 points per game or 4.6 rebounds per game. Who did they pass on? Bob McAdoo, Paul Westphal, or some guy named Julius Erving. Then, in 1978 they drafted Mychal Thompson from the Bahamas #1 overall. Thompson wasn't awful but the Blazers could have had Larry Bird who was drafted #6 overall by the Celtics.Then, we all know about the 1984 draft where the Blazers had the #2 overall pick and chose Sam Bowie instead of some dude named Michael Jordan. Now, add Greg Oden to the list of failures. The guy chosen right after Oden? Kevin Durant. Talk about wanting to kick yourself. Had the Blazers picked right We could have seen Michael Jordan and Larry Bird play together. The lineage of going from Dr. J to Larry to Michael to Durant. Wow. If only Portland had competent people at the helm at any point in their franchises history and we could be talking about the greatest franchise in history here.
- As compensation for Theo Epstein, the Red Sox received Chris Carpenter, a hard throwing pitcher who can't find the strike zone as often as needed to be what scouts would call successful in the Major Leagues. Carpenter was once drafted by the Yankees but didn't sign. He now joins Daniel Bard, who was also drafted by the Yankees but didn't sign, and Yankee castoffs Alfredo Aceves, and Mark Melancon in the Red Sox bullpen. Should be an interesting year in Fenway and Yankee Stadium.
- The rumors surrounding Rick Nash and the New York Rangers are becoming a bit overplayed. Nash is a very good player but if I'm the Rangers I don't give up Brandon Dubinsky or Michael Del Zotto, or Ryan McDonaugh with Chris Krieder or a first rounder. I would trade Dubinsky and a second rounder for Nash but I don't think the Blue Jackets would bite. The best thing that can happen to the Rangers is Dubinsky finds his scoring touch and Brad Richards finds his as well. Then, there is no need for Nash. I wouldn't complain about having Nash on the team, it would just have to be at the right price and I'm not giving up Krieder.
- Manny Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Oakland A's. I am still angry at Major League Baseball for reducing his suspension from 100 to 50 games. Manny chose to retire instead of face his suspension. That was his choice. His retirement should not count as time served at all. Here is a guy who has failed two drug tests in the past couple of years and also technically failed the "secret" drug test that led to MLB's current testing policy. It is a sham. Manny is a sham. He has been a joke in this game for years, from his antics to his performance enhancing drug use. He has spit in the face of MLB, it's fans, and the history of the game. I am shocked any team would take a flyer on him. I have the over/under for his next suspension at 40 games...if he makes the A's.
- The Yankees signed Raul Ibanez to a 1-year contract. What, was Andre Dawson too busy? Ibanez will be 40 years-old on June 2nd. His on-base percentage was .289 last season. This should be interesting.
- Mariano Rivera hinted at retirement yesterday but didn't come out and say he would directly. I am going to pretend I didn't hear that. Every time I hear Mariano and retirement I am just going to stick my fingers in my ears and yell, "La-la-la, I can't hear you, la-la-la." Maybe if we ignore Mo he will be forced to rethink his decision and stay for a few more decades. I don't ever want to see Mo leave the mound.
- Last night Deron Williams proved he was the best point guard in the New York area by splashing 38 points down on the Knicks. Jeremy Lin played well, as he has done almost every night since getting the starting job. He should be a fixture on this Knicks team for a few years. Carmelo Anthony looked rusty and lost and Tyson Chandler's wrist needs rest. Still, despite that injury, Chandler played his usual game and played nice interior defense and played hard all night. The Knicks lucked out when they got Chandler. If this team can stay healthy and develop an offensive flow and play a little defense they might have a shot at making the NBA Finals.
- Coming soon will be my outrageous 2012 MLB predictions. Stay tuned.
- As compensation for Theo Epstein, the Red Sox received Chris Carpenter, a hard throwing pitcher who can't find the strike zone as often as needed to be what scouts would call successful in the Major Leagues. Carpenter was once drafted by the Yankees but didn't sign. He now joins Daniel Bard, who was also drafted by the Yankees but didn't sign, and Yankee castoffs Alfredo Aceves, and Mark Melancon in the Red Sox bullpen. Should be an interesting year in Fenway and Yankee Stadium.
- The rumors surrounding Rick Nash and the New York Rangers are becoming a bit overplayed. Nash is a very good player but if I'm the Rangers I don't give up Brandon Dubinsky or Michael Del Zotto, or Ryan McDonaugh with Chris Krieder or a first rounder. I would trade Dubinsky and a second rounder for Nash but I don't think the Blue Jackets would bite. The best thing that can happen to the Rangers is Dubinsky finds his scoring touch and Brad Richards finds his as well. Then, there is no need for Nash. I wouldn't complain about having Nash on the team, it would just have to be at the right price and I'm not giving up Krieder.
- Manny Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Oakland A's. I am still angry at Major League Baseball for reducing his suspension from 100 to 50 games. Manny chose to retire instead of face his suspension. That was his choice. His retirement should not count as time served at all. Here is a guy who has failed two drug tests in the past couple of years and also technically failed the "secret" drug test that led to MLB's current testing policy. It is a sham. Manny is a sham. He has been a joke in this game for years, from his antics to his performance enhancing drug use. He has spit in the face of MLB, it's fans, and the history of the game. I am shocked any team would take a flyer on him. I have the over/under for his next suspension at 40 games...if he makes the A's.
- The Yankees signed Raul Ibanez to a 1-year contract. What, was Andre Dawson too busy? Ibanez will be 40 years-old on June 2nd. His on-base percentage was .289 last season. This should be interesting.
- Mariano Rivera hinted at retirement yesterday but didn't come out and say he would directly. I am going to pretend I didn't hear that. Every time I hear Mariano and retirement I am just going to stick my fingers in my ears and yell, "La-la-la, I can't hear you, la-la-la." Maybe if we ignore Mo he will be forced to rethink his decision and stay for a few more decades. I don't ever want to see Mo leave the mound.
- Last night Deron Williams proved he was the best point guard in the New York area by splashing 38 points down on the Knicks. Jeremy Lin played well, as he has done almost every night since getting the starting job. He should be a fixture on this Knicks team for a few years. Carmelo Anthony looked rusty and lost and Tyson Chandler's wrist needs rest. Still, despite that injury, Chandler played his usual game and played nice interior defense and played hard all night. The Knicks lucked out when they got Chandler. If this team can stay healthy and develop an offensive flow and play a little defense they might have a shot at making the NBA Finals.
- Coming soon will be my outrageous 2012 MLB predictions. Stay tuned.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
This, That, and the Other Thing...Hypocrisy Abound
Just a few blurbs from around sports:
- Major League Baseball recently denied the Houston Astros request that would allow the Astros to wear their original team uniform. That uniform, from what they were the Colt .45's, features a pistol, the Colt .45, under the word "Colts" with the "C" looking like smoke coming from the barrel. Major League Baseball doesn't want kids to see an image of a gun so the Astros will have to alter their old uniform to not feature the pistol. Ummm, okay. Does Major League Baseball really think that kids don't know what a gun is? I have seen five year-old children play Call of Duty, a popular video game on Playstation, Xbox, and the PC, which features people shooting other people. It makes no sense for Major League Baseball to deny it's history. History is what it is and you can't hide from it. Are parents supposed to tell their children that the franchise was originally named for a malt liquor? Or are they going to tell their children that the Colt .45 is a famous pistol that helped win the West? This is Texas people. I am of the opinion, you either honor history or you don't. You can't alter it. For crying out loud, the Washington Wizards used to be called the Washington Bullets in one of the most dangerous cities in North America, Washington, D.C. Did the Wizards name change reduce violence in that city? Nope. Washington, D.C. still has one of the highest murder rates in the country. Also in that same city, there is a certain football team called the Washington Redskins. The Redskins refused to change their name like St. John's University who changed their name from the Red Men to the Red Storm. Do we honestly think that people become racist because of a team name, no matter how insensitive it is? No, we don't. MLB needs to chill out. The Astros are probably going to lose 90 or more games this year and will probably not make it onto any national broadcasts. The only people seeing these uniforms will be in Texas, where it is legal to carry a concealed firearm. Someone should tell MLB that it is a Constitutional right to carry firearms in this country and that a gun in the correct hands is a useful tool that defends freedom, protects citizens, and enforces the law. By making it seem like a gun is only used by criminals and that guns are bad only adds fuel to the fire. Guns are not bad. People are bad. Maybe I shouldn't have said that because now MLB might soon ban human beings from appearing at their games.
- ESPN recently posted a headline on their mobile site that said "Chink in the Armor." I bet you can't figure out who they were talking about? That's right, Jeremy Lin and his 9 turnovers as the Knicks lost for the first time since Lin began starting. Seriously, ESPN? You didn't know that "Chink" is an offensive word used to describe Chinese people? What? No headline from them after Ryan Braun won the MVP saying "Jew the Man!"? Oh, that would be offensive. Well, ESPN, allow me to tell you, it's the same thing. ESPN has become a joke. They suspended Paul Anzinger for political comments critical of Barack Obama on his personal Twitter account saying it violated their social media policy. Azinger said "Facts: POTUS has played more golf this month than I have: I have created more jobs this month than he has: #Marthasvineyard." ESPN believes political commentary is best left to those in that field. But, if Azinger hadn't been critical of the President would he have been suspended? Nope. This same organization invites Barack Obama to fill out his NCAA brackets on air. That is political commentary, even if it isn't on social media. On June 11, 2011 ESPN personality Kenny Mayne said on Twitter "he almost rammed a car with Palin bumper sticker, with intent." Oh, he never got suspended for saying he almost committed a violent act because he saw someone with a differing political opinion but Paul Azinger can make a statement and get suspended. Oh, so political commentary only goes one way at ESPN. Sadly, there are more examples. Stephen A. Smith can go on a show and call 2008 Presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani "a dictator as far as I'm concerned." Let me be fair for a moment, Craig James, who is considering a run in politics is a Republican but has never, as far as I have seen, crossed the line. Peter Gammons, on Dec. 22, 2000, used politics in a column, a quote from an average Joe in Boston, and was not reprimanded for it. Those words didn't have to be included in the quote. Want to read it? Here's Gammon's article. Politics didn't have to be mentioned but they were, innocently. ESPN has featured stories that center around political figures from Sarah Palin, John McCain's wife, Barack Obama's brother-in-law, and several others. I thought their policy was to leave politics aside, to let political outlets handle politics? What happened to sports and politics don't mix?
Lou Holtz had to issue an apology for making a statement that many people misconstrued. Mark May said, "you have to have leaders in the locker room to get the team and the young players to buy into what the coach is teaching you." Holtz then said, "Let's remember that Hitler was a great leader, too. There are good leaders and bad leaders." Now anyone with a brain would tell you that Holtz was not comparing Hitler to a great leader, merely that many people thought he was. Holtz was trying to say that the lesson the coach is tying to teach needs to be a good, sound one. It was about leading in the right direction. Instead of ESPN publicly backing Holtz they made him apologize on air because people misinterpreted his comments.
ESPN is a world of hypocrisy. Several of their on-air personalities have been charged with sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault and other misdeeds. That gets swept under the rug for the most part. ESPN also scripts their debate shows. Around the Horn producers have, according to Dan Shanoff, who made several appearances on the show, given the lowest ranking (or newest) guys or gals the unpopular opinion to defend. This means that Shanoff was basically pressured into saying something he didn't believe to foster debate. John Kruk has also admitted he was told by producers what to say on Baseball Tonight when he picked the Pirates to win the NL Central one year. Originally he said he was told to pick the Yankees, who were trailing the Red Sox by a large margin at one point and he said no so a deal was made that he would say the Pirates would win the NL Central. Great to see journalistic integrity, or even integrity, is something ESPN holds dear. Or not.
- Major League Baseball recently denied the Houston Astros request that would allow the Astros to wear their original team uniform. That uniform, from what they were the Colt .45's, features a pistol, the Colt .45, under the word "Colts" with the "C" looking like smoke coming from the barrel. Major League Baseball doesn't want kids to see an image of a gun so the Astros will have to alter their old uniform to not feature the pistol. Ummm, okay. Does Major League Baseball really think that kids don't know what a gun is? I have seen five year-old children play Call of Duty, a popular video game on Playstation, Xbox, and the PC, which features people shooting other people. It makes no sense for Major League Baseball to deny it's history. History is what it is and you can't hide from it. Are parents supposed to tell their children that the franchise was originally named for a malt liquor? Or are they going to tell their children that the Colt .45 is a famous pistol that helped win the West? This is Texas people. I am of the opinion, you either honor history or you don't. You can't alter it. For crying out loud, the Washington Wizards used to be called the Washington Bullets in one of the most dangerous cities in North America, Washington, D.C. Did the Wizards name change reduce violence in that city? Nope. Washington, D.C. still has one of the highest murder rates in the country. Also in that same city, there is a certain football team called the Washington Redskins. The Redskins refused to change their name like St. John's University who changed their name from the Red Men to the Red Storm. Do we honestly think that people become racist because of a team name, no matter how insensitive it is? No, we don't. MLB needs to chill out. The Astros are probably going to lose 90 or more games this year and will probably not make it onto any national broadcasts. The only people seeing these uniforms will be in Texas, where it is legal to carry a concealed firearm. Someone should tell MLB that it is a Constitutional right to carry firearms in this country and that a gun in the correct hands is a useful tool that defends freedom, protects citizens, and enforces the law. By making it seem like a gun is only used by criminals and that guns are bad only adds fuel to the fire. Guns are not bad. People are bad. Maybe I shouldn't have said that because now MLB might soon ban human beings from appearing at their games.
- ESPN recently posted a headline on their mobile site that said "Chink in the Armor." I bet you can't figure out who they were talking about? That's right, Jeremy Lin and his 9 turnovers as the Knicks lost for the first time since Lin began starting. Seriously, ESPN? You didn't know that "Chink" is an offensive word used to describe Chinese people? What? No headline from them after Ryan Braun won the MVP saying "Jew the Man!"? Oh, that would be offensive. Well, ESPN, allow me to tell you, it's the same thing. ESPN has become a joke. They suspended Paul Anzinger for political comments critical of Barack Obama on his personal Twitter account saying it violated their social media policy. Azinger said "Facts: POTUS has played more golf this month than I have: I have created more jobs this month than he has: #Marthasvineyard." ESPN believes political commentary is best left to those in that field. But, if Azinger hadn't been critical of the President would he have been suspended? Nope. This same organization invites Barack Obama to fill out his NCAA brackets on air. That is political commentary, even if it isn't on social media. On June 11, 2011 ESPN personality Kenny Mayne said on Twitter "he almost rammed a car with Palin bumper sticker, with intent." Oh, he never got suspended for saying he almost committed a violent act because he saw someone with a differing political opinion but Paul Azinger can make a statement and get suspended. Oh, so political commentary only goes one way at ESPN. Sadly, there are more examples. Stephen A. Smith can go on a show and call 2008 Presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani "a dictator as far as I'm concerned." Let me be fair for a moment, Craig James, who is considering a run in politics is a Republican but has never, as far as I have seen, crossed the line. Peter Gammons, on Dec. 22, 2000, used politics in a column, a quote from an average Joe in Boston, and was not reprimanded for it. Those words didn't have to be included in the quote. Want to read it? Here's Gammon's article. Politics didn't have to be mentioned but they were, innocently. ESPN has featured stories that center around political figures from Sarah Palin, John McCain's wife, Barack Obama's brother-in-law, and several others. I thought their policy was to leave politics aside, to let political outlets handle politics? What happened to sports and politics don't mix?
Lou Holtz had to issue an apology for making a statement that many people misconstrued. Mark May said, "you have to have leaders in the locker room to get the team and the young players to buy into what the coach is teaching you." Holtz then said, "Let's remember that Hitler was a great leader, too. There are good leaders and bad leaders." Now anyone with a brain would tell you that Holtz was not comparing Hitler to a great leader, merely that many people thought he was. Holtz was trying to say that the lesson the coach is tying to teach needs to be a good, sound one. It was about leading in the right direction. Instead of ESPN publicly backing Holtz they made him apologize on air because people misinterpreted his comments.
ESPN is a world of hypocrisy. Several of their on-air personalities have been charged with sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault and other misdeeds. That gets swept under the rug for the most part. ESPN also scripts their debate shows. Around the Horn producers have, according to Dan Shanoff, who made several appearances on the show, given the lowest ranking (or newest) guys or gals the unpopular opinion to defend. This means that Shanoff was basically pressured into saying something he didn't believe to foster debate. John Kruk has also admitted he was told by producers what to say on Baseball Tonight when he picked the Pirates to win the NL Central one year. Originally he said he was told to pick the Yankees, who were trailing the Red Sox by a large margin at one point and he said no so a deal was made that he would say the Pirates would win the NL Central. Great to see journalistic integrity, or even integrity, is something ESPN holds dear. Or not.
Friday, February 17, 2012
NASCAR Turns Down 'General Lee'
NASCAR recently turned down plans to have golfer Bubba Watson drive the iconic 'General Lee' of "The Dukes of Hazzard" fame at a March 4th Sprint Cup Series event in Phoenix. NASCAR spokesman, David Higdon, according to ESPN, believes that, "The Confederate flag is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive." That's all well and good Mr. Higdon, but showcasing one of America's most iconic cars, which the 'General Lee' is, is not exactly making the Confederate flag an "official" part of NASCAR.
NASCAR has basically bowed to public ignorance over what the Confederate flag actually stands for. It doesn't stand for slavery. It stands for state's rights which is what the Civil War was actually fought over. Slavery just happened to be the issue that put the federal government and the slave-holding states at odds with each other. A quick history lesson would clarify that. However, since the South was made up of slave-holding states, many people assume that the Confederate battle flag is actually a symbol of hatred, racism, and intolerance on the scale of the Nazi flag. This is simply not true.
The evolution of the Confederate battle flag is an interesting one. The one emblazoned on top of the 'General Lee' is actually the third adaptation of the Confederate States flag. The original featured two red bars separated by a white bar and a blue field to the left (like the American flag) that featured stars representing each state in the Confederacy. The flag was prominent on battle fields all the way up until May of 1863.
Here is a little known fact, several thousand slaves and free blacks served under that flag in various capacities. From cooks, laborers, teamsters, musicians, personal attendants to high-ranking officers, and other non-combatant roles. While there is no evidence in the form of official muster rolls and other paperwork that would make African-Americans "officially" having served under arms for the Confederacy, there are reports from journals and diaries kept by Confederate and Union soldiers around that state that at least several hundred probably did take up arms against Union forces throughout the war. Many of them joined up with guerilla units, served as scouts, and in other roles. The notion of enlisting African-Americans came up for debate several times in the Confederate Congress but was never passed for fear of alienating the white soldiers currently fighting for the South. Enlisting slaves and free-blacks might have caused many of the white soldiers, who were from a mostly agrarian society and depended on slave labor to keep production up on their farms. Too late, towards the very end of the war, did the South reverse this policy in 1865.
Please don't misunderstand me, I am not advocating slavery or defending it in any way. I am sure some of you might be reading this and be programmed to think I am a racist. I assure you, that is not the case. I come from a lineage that predates the Civil War in this country and my ancestors fought on the side of the Union. Please understand that this is not an advocacy for slavery. Okay, now that the disclaimer is done I can continue.
Today, it is easy to confuse the Civil War as the fight for freedom of the slaves. However, that simply isn't true. It wasn't until 1862, after the Battle of Antietam, that President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation that said all slaves in states participating in rebellion against the United States government were hereby free. It is important to note that only the slaves in the states that had taken up arms against the United States government were free but that slaves in the "border states" were still to be held as slaves. Interesting that Lincoln wouldn't free them all? Technically, slavery was allowed in the Union during the war. However, does the United States flag get banned at sporting events because of its association with slavery? Let us not forget that from 1776, when the United States declared itself independent from Great Britain, until 1861, when Southern states began to separate from the Union, the United States of America was a country built on slavery. Does this make the United States flag any worse than the Confederate one? It shouldn't. History is filled with evolution. Slavery will forever be a black-eye in the history of this great country. However, what makes this country truly great is that our system of government allows us to correct oversights and unforeseen circumstances that our Founding Fathers never anticipated.
Slavery was abolished for good in the United States with the 13th Amendment which became law on December 6, 1865 after being passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864 and passed by the House on January 31, 1865. Technically, because of Lincoln's Proclamation, slavery was legal in the United States long after it was made illegal in the South. And, since the Confederacy dissolved in April of 1865 and slavery wasn't officially abolished until December of 1865 in the United States, the United States actually allowed slavery to exist longer than did the Confederacy.
The Confederate battle flag is a part of our nation's history, a pivotal part. It marks the only time that states seceded from the Union against a federal government that they saw as overreaching. After the Civil War, veterans of the Confederacy adopted their old battle flag as part of the symbology in groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. This is where the Confederate flag begins to be seen as a symbol of hatred. However, in later years, as the Civil War veterans died off and were replaced by their descendants and others, the American flag also began to be flown at KKK rallies. Yet, there are no court cases seeking to ban the American flag from sporting events as a symbol of hatred or division.
Can the Confederate flag be interpreted as a racist symbol? Yes. Just like anything else. Hitler and the Nazi's turned the swastika, a symbol that is over 3,000 years old, into a symbol of racism, intolerance, and hatred. The swastika did not stand for the things that Nazi Germany represented before it's implementation in the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's as a national symbol for Germany. Now, because of that, the mere appearance of the swastika automatically means Nazi whereas for thousands of years in places as diverse as China, India, Europe, and was even used by the United States Army 45th Division in its shoulder patch for its positive connotations.
Today, the Confederate flag is beginning to take its place alongside the Nazi symbols as purely racist, purely evil. There have been court cases that have sought the banning of the flying of the Confederate flag outside state capitols, courthouses, and have sought it's removal from state flags.
Getting back to my original point, NASCAR has bent to the popular belief that the flag represents a divisive symbol. I believe, as do many Americans, that it is a symbol of our history of our nation. A symbol for states rights and sacrifice just like our American flag with it's thirteen red and white stripes and fifty white stars against a blue background. For most Southern Americans, the Confederate flag is about heritage and roots, not about racism. NASCAR's decision to keep the 1969 Dodge Charger 'General Lee' from participating in their event is short-sighted and adds fuel to a fire that has burned wildly in this country. The more we make the flag a symbol of hatred, the more those who believe in racial inequality will use it. It is akin to putting bullets inside of a gun, you are giving them the ammunition to use instead of denying them that ability. If the Confederate flag had been left alone and not recognized as anything more than a part of our nation's history we wouldn't be having this discussion. Instead, groups like the ACLU and NASCAR allow the flag to be used as a symbol of hate instead of history.
"The Dukes of Hazzard" was not a television show based on racism. It was a show about two Southern boys fighting a corrupt system, something many Southerners feel the Civil War was actually fought over. The car became as much a part of American popular culture as "Daisy Dukes" shorts on women in the 1970's. Are we to think that "Daisy Dukes" are now a symbol of racism and hate? C'mon. The Confederate flag plays a prominent role in every NASCAR race without NASCAR's sanction because of the massive Confederate flags that fly from the RV's in the infield. Yet, where is the movement to ban those flags? There isn't one and there shouldn't be. NASCAR originated from bootleggers souping up their cars to outrun the law, kind of like the Duke boys from the show. The 'General Lee' isn't a symbol of racism but a symbol of the origins of NASCAR.
Sports evolves along with society. African-Americans weren't allowed to play Major League Baseball until 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and opened the door to an entire race of people to pursue their dreams the same as anyone else. During one game the entire St. Louis Cardinals team threatened to sit out a game rather than play on the same field as a black man. Only because the commissioners office intervened did the game actually take place. Yet, the Cardinals pennant isn't associated with racism.
The more we allow certain symbols to be completely taken over by hate groups the more we limit our own freedoms and surrender ourselves to their hate. Instead of slinking behind the glass shield of political correctness, NASCAR should have explained why they would allow the 'General Lee' to take part in pre-race festivities. NASCAR should embrace their roots and embrace the fans that have vaulted the sport to the national spotlight. Instead of shying away and letting the Confederate flag become a symbol associated with racism, NASCAR should have stood up for itself, it's rights, it's fans, and sought to educate the public. All in all, we should be, as a nation, denying the hate groups these symbols and educate ourselves, and others, as to their original meanings.
NASCAR has basically bowed to public ignorance over what the Confederate flag actually stands for. It doesn't stand for slavery. It stands for state's rights which is what the Civil War was actually fought over. Slavery just happened to be the issue that put the federal government and the slave-holding states at odds with each other. A quick history lesson would clarify that. However, since the South was made up of slave-holding states, many people assume that the Confederate battle flag is actually a symbol of hatred, racism, and intolerance on the scale of the Nazi flag. This is simply not true.
The evolution of the Confederate battle flag is an interesting one. The one emblazoned on top of the 'General Lee' is actually the third adaptation of the Confederate States flag. The original featured two red bars separated by a white bar and a blue field to the left (like the American flag) that featured stars representing each state in the Confederacy. The flag was prominent on battle fields all the way up until May of 1863.
Here is a little known fact, several thousand slaves and free blacks served under that flag in various capacities. From cooks, laborers, teamsters, musicians, personal attendants to high-ranking officers, and other non-combatant roles. While there is no evidence in the form of official muster rolls and other paperwork that would make African-Americans "officially" having served under arms for the Confederacy, there are reports from journals and diaries kept by Confederate and Union soldiers around that state that at least several hundred probably did take up arms against Union forces throughout the war. Many of them joined up with guerilla units, served as scouts, and in other roles. The notion of enlisting African-Americans came up for debate several times in the Confederate Congress but was never passed for fear of alienating the white soldiers currently fighting for the South. Enlisting slaves and free-blacks might have caused many of the white soldiers, who were from a mostly agrarian society and depended on slave labor to keep production up on their farms. Too late, towards the very end of the war, did the South reverse this policy in 1865.
Please don't misunderstand me, I am not advocating slavery or defending it in any way. I am sure some of you might be reading this and be programmed to think I am a racist. I assure you, that is not the case. I come from a lineage that predates the Civil War in this country and my ancestors fought on the side of the Union. Please understand that this is not an advocacy for slavery. Okay, now that the disclaimer is done I can continue.
Today, it is easy to confuse the Civil War as the fight for freedom of the slaves. However, that simply isn't true. It wasn't until 1862, after the Battle of Antietam, that President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation that said all slaves in states participating in rebellion against the United States government were hereby free. It is important to note that only the slaves in the states that had taken up arms against the United States government were free but that slaves in the "border states" were still to be held as slaves. Interesting that Lincoln wouldn't free them all? Technically, slavery was allowed in the Union during the war. However, does the United States flag get banned at sporting events because of its association with slavery? Let us not forget that from 1776, when the United States declared itself independent from Great Britain, until 1861, when Southern states began to separate from the Union, the United States of America was a country built on slavery. Does this make the United States flag any worse than the Confederate one? It shouldn't. History is filled with evolution. Slavery will forever be a black-eye in the history of this great country. However, what makes this country truly great is that our system of government allows us to correct oversights and unforeseen circumstances that our Founding Fathers never anticipated.
Slavery was abolished for good in the United States with the 13th Amendment which became law on December 6, 1865 after being passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864 and passed by the House on January 31, 1865. Technically, because of Lincoln's Proclamation, slavery was legal in the United States long after it was made illegal in the South. And, since the Confederacy dissolved in April of 1865 and slavery wasn't officially abolished until December of 1865 in the United States, the United States actually allowed slavery to exist longer than did the Confederacy.
The Confederate battle flag is a part of our nation's history, a pivotal part. It marks the only time that states seceded from the Union against a federal government that they saw as overreaching. After the Civil War, veterans of the Confederacy adopted their old battle flag as part of the symbology in groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. This is where the Confederate flag begins to be seen as a symbol of hatred. However, in later years, as the Civil War veterans died off and were replaced by their descendants and others, the American flag also began to be flown at KKK rallies. Yet, there are no court cases seeking to ban the American flag from sporting events as a symbol of hatred or division.
Can the Confederate flag be interpreted as a racist symbol? Yes. Just like anything else. Hitler and the Nazi's turned the swastika, a symbol that is over 3,000 years old, into a symbol of racism, intolerance, and hatred. The swastika did not stand for the things that Nazi Germany represented before it's implementation in the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's as a national symbol for Germany. Now, because of that, the mere appearance of the swastika automatically means Nazi whereas for thousands of years in places as diverse as China, India, Europe, and was even used by the United States Army 45th Division in its shoulder patch for its positive connotations.
Today, the Confederate flag is beginning to take its place alongside the Nazi symbols as purely racist, purely evil. There have been court cases that have sought the banning of the flying of the Confederate flag outside state capitols, courthouses, and have sought it's removal from state flags.
Getting back to my original point, NASCAR has bent to the popular belief that the flag represents a divisive symbol. I believe, as do many Americans, that it is a symbol of our history of our nation. A symbol for states rights and sacrifice just like our American flag with it's thirteen red and white stripes and fifty white stars against a blue background. For most Southern Americans, the Confederate flag is about heritage and roots, not about racism. NASCAR's decision to keep the 1969 Dodge Charger 'General Lee' from participating in their event is short-sighted and adds fuel to a fire that has burned wildly in this country. The more we make the flag a symbol of hatred, the more those who believe in racial inequality will use it. It is akin to putting bullets inside of a gun, you are giving them the ammunition to use instead of denying them that ability. If the Confederate flag had been left alone and not recognized as anything more than a part of our nation's history we wouldn't be having this discussion. Instead, groups like the ACLU and NASCAR allow the flag to be used as a symbol of hate instead of history.
"The Dukes of Hazzard" was not a television show based on racism. It was a show about two Southern boys fighting a corrupt system, something many Southerners feel the Civil War was actually fought over. The car became as much a part of American popular culture as "Daisy Dukes" shorts on women in the 1970's. Are we to think that "Daisy Dukes" are now a symbol of racism and hate? C'mon. The Confederate flag plays a prominent role in every NASCAR race without NASCAR's sanction because of the massive Confederate flags that fly from the RV's in the infield. Yet, where is the movement to ban those flags? There isn't one and there shouldn't be. NASCAR originated from bootleggers souping up their cars to outrun the law, kind of like the Duke boys from the show. The 'General Lee' isn't a symbol of racism but a symbol of the origins of NASCAR.
Sports evolves along with society. African-Americans weren't allowed to play Major League Baseball until 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and opened the door to an entire race of people to pursue their dreams the same as anyone else. During one game the entire St. Louis Cardinals team threatened to sit out a game rather than play on the same field as a black man. Only because the commissioners office intervened did the game actually take place. Yet, the Cardinals pennant isn't associated with racism.
The more we allow certain symbols to be completely taken over by hate groups the more we limit our own freedoms and surrender ourselves to their hate. Instead of slinking behind the glass shield of political correctness, NASCAR should have explained why they would allow the 'General Lee' to take part in pre-race festivities. NASCAR should embrace their roots and embrace the fans that have vaulted the sport to the national spotlight. Instead of shying away and letting the Confederate flag become a symbol associated with racism, NASCAR should have stood up for itself, it's rights, it's fans, and sought to educate the public. All in all, we should be, as a nation, denying the hate groups these symbols and educate ourselves, and others, as to their original meanings.
Peyton and the Jets
Peyton Manning's future is up in the air with the Colts. There is no guarantee that he will ever play again as he has reportedly had four surgeries on his neck in the past year. However, that won't stop teams from scrambling to add the soon-to-be thirty-six year-old future Hall of Famer. One of those teams that might show interest is the New York Jets. Jets players have come out publicly in support of the team getting Peyton but does this move make sense for the Jets?
It isn't every day that you see a franchise quarterback hit the open market. It just doesn't happen. Now, there is no certainty right now that Peyton will hit the open market but it is unlikely the Colts will roll the dice on a $28 million question mark if Peyton doesn't look like he can play football. If he can play, it makes no sense for the Colts to cut their quarterback, regardless of the squabbles Peyton and owner Jim Irsay have had. But, since this is a speculative piece designed around Peyton ending up on the Jets I will leave the Colts out of this. Let's just assume the Colts let Peyton go and the Jets are interested.
The Jets locker room this year was closer to a circus than it was a football team coming off of back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances. There is, or was, a good football team in there somewhere. Did it just break apart overnight? I don't think so. However, that isn't to say there aren't big holes on the Jets that need to be filled. One of those holes is not at the quarterback position.
Mark Sanchez has been frustrating, especially to Jets fans. They expected a franchise quarterback to begin to emerge this season. After all, he did help lead the team to back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances. Bad quarterbacks really can't do that. The problem with the Jets is their personnel decisions. They reach for aging veterans to plug into the holes created by years worth of poor drafting. Going into this season, the Jets had Santonio Holmes flanked by Plaxico Burress, who hadn't played football since 2008 when his career was interrupted by a nightclub, sweatpants, and a handgun. He went to jail and yet here he was, expected to be the team's number two wide receiver for all intents and purposes. Derrick Mason was brought in to be the slot/possession guy but Mason was thirty-seven years old. Mason was so ineffective that he was traded on October 11th after openly complaining. Mark Sanchez has not been given the tools to succeed.
Bringing in a quarterback who is nearing the end of his career is not the answer. Sure, Peyton is a great quarterback, a first ballot Hall of Famer but giving up on a supposed franchise quarterback after three years of starting reeks of stupidity. If the Jets go out and get Peyton they might have one or two years of good football. We've seen Peyton, when healthy, elevate a mediocre football team. However, what happens in two years when Peyton is now thirty-eight? Do they use another draft pick on a quarterback and have Peyton tutor him? What if the Jets sign Peyton and cut or trade Sanchez and Peyton get hurt in the fourth game of the season? Do they implode the whole football team and hope to start over? They would basically have to. They would be in the Colts position right now.
If I were Mike Tannenbaum, I would keep Sanchez and clean the locker room up. Trade malcontents, even if it means trading Santonio Holmes. There are going to be enough good wide receivers coming into free agency that Holmes can be replaced. The Jets could also use some offensive linemen that can block the speed rushers that are now predominant on defensive lines everywhere. Wayne Hunter was terrible on the right side and finding a right tackle who is good, not great but just good enough, is a lot easier than finding a quarterback in the draft. Sanchez hasn't been terrible. Sure, he has been at times, but so have a lot of quarterbacks, even Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and Philip Rivers to name a few. These are excellent quarterbacks. Instead of throwing their quarterback under the bus, the Jets should do what the Giants did for Eli, get rid of malcontents that hinder the quarterbacks growth. The Giants got rid of Jeremy Shockey, a pest by all accounts who pestered Eli in the huddle to throw him the football. Once Shockey got injured and was no longer in the huddle the Giants went on to win a Super Bowl and ever since Eli has gotten better and better with a few bumps in the road. If Santonio Holmes is degrading the man throwing him the football then Holmes has to go. Wide receivers can be found, franchise quarterbacks can't.
If the Jets management really believes that Mark Sanchez is not the answer then they had better draft a quarterback and develop him, especially if they are going after Peyton if he becomes available. This year's quarterback crop, at least in projected elite quarterbacks, is short. Still, a Brandon Weeden, an older quarterback a la Chris Weinke, will be available when the Jets pick in a middle round. If not, there should be someone who can at least compete for a spot. Is Greg McElroy the answer? Unknown but doubtful. Obtaining Peyton's services will surely mean a capable backup will be necessary, just in case. We all know the Jets are built to compete now. They are aging, and in some spots aging poorly. They don't have a legitimate pass rush and rely on schemes to get to the quarterback or defend against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have all the time in the world to throw and that will lead to someone getting open. Sure, the Jets have Darrelle Revis but unless they clone him the chances are that one of the opposing team's wide receivers will get open against Antonio Cromartie or Kyle Wilson.
The Jets problems didn't stem from the quarterback position. Yes, Sanchez threw untimely interceptions and fumbled at inopportune moments. However, his ground game was putrid to start the year. Shonn Greene did eventually emerge as a 1,000 yard rusher but his inability early in the year to get major chunks of yardage compounded the Jets offensive woes, especially when two of the teams top three receivers were over thirty-four years-old and one hadn't played football in three years. Despite all of the Jets offensive problems, Sanchez improved on his completion percentage (56.7, up from 54.8 in 2010) and threw 26 touchdowns, up from 17 the year before. His yards gained per completion were the lowest they had been since he came into the NFL at 11.3, further testimony of the Jets older receiving corps.
Mark Sanchez has talent. Will he be what Peyton Manning was in his prime? Probably not, in fact I'd bet on it. Few quarterbacks can ever hope to be. Eli Manning isn't as good as his brother and yet has more Super Bowl rings than Peyton. Winning Super Bowls is not just a quarterback thing. Even Peyton in his prime would have a hard time winning a Super Bowl with the Jets and their current roster. There is no Dwight Freeney of Robert Mathis to get to the opposing team's QB. There is no Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. Holmes has talent but he also has what appears to be an attitude problem. There are much bigger problems on the Jets than their quarterback. They need a pass rush. They need a right tackle. They need a younger, more capable back than LaDainian Tomlinson to share some duties with Shonn Greene. They have an emerging tight end in Dustin Keller. They have a left tackle in D'Brickashaw Ferguson. They have a center in Nick Mangold. They have the shut-down corner in Revis. Their linebacking corps is aging but very good. They need some safety help. They need young wide receivers that can stretch the field with their speed, something the Jets really didn't have. The Jets don't need a quarterback, especially a thirty-six year old one who is not a sure thing to stay healthy. If Mike Tannenbaum thinks this is the route the Jets should go down then perhaps Woody Johnson should go another route in the general manager department. Obtaining Peyton Manning might...might help the Jets for a year or two but he could also set them back five years, something I don't think Jets fans can tolerate.
It isn't every day that you see a franchise quarterback hit the open market. It just doesn't happen. Now, there is no certainty right now that Peyton will hit the open market but it is unlikely the Colts will roll the dice on a $28 million question mark if Peyton doesn't look like he can play football. If he can play, it makes no sense for the Colts to cut their quarterback, regardless of the squabbles Peyton and owner Jim Irsay have had. But, since this is a speculative piece designed around Peyton ending up on the Jets I will leave the Colts out of this. Let's just assume the Colts let Peyton go and the Jets are interested.
The Jets locker room this year was closer to a circus than it was a football team coming off of back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances. There is, or was, a good football team in there somewhere. Did it just break apart overnight? I don't think so. However, that isn't to say there aren't big holes on the Jets that need to be filled. One of those holes is not at the quarterback position.
Mark Sanchez has been frustrating, especially to Jets fans. They expected a franchise quarterback to begin to emerge this season. After all, he did help lead the team to back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances. Bad quarterbacks really can't do that. The problem with the Jets is their personnel decisions. They reach for aging veterans to plug into the holes created by years worth of poor drafting. Going into this season, the Jets had Santonio Holmes flanked by Plaxico Burress, who hadn't played football since 2008 when his career was interrupted by a nightclub, sweatpants, and a handgun. He went to jail and yet here he was, expected to be the team's number two wide receiver for all intents and purposes. Derrick Mason was brought in to be the slot/possession guy but Mason was thirty-seven years old. Mason was so ineffective that he was traded on October 11th after openly complaining. Mark Sanchez has not been given the tools to succeed.
Bringing in a quarterback who is nearing the end of his career is not the answer. Sure, Peyton is a great quarterback, a first ballot Hall of Famer but giving up on a supposed franchise quarterback after three years of starting reeks of stupidity. If the Jets go out and get Peyton they might have one or two years of good football. We've seen Peyton, when healthy, elevate a mediocre football team. However, what happens in two years when Peyton is now thirty-eight? Do they use another draft pick on a quarterback and have Peyton tutor him? What if the Jets sign Peyton and cut or trade Sanchez and Peyton get hurt in the fourth game of the season? Do they implode the whole football team and hope to start over? They would basically have to. They would be in the Colts position right now.
If I were Mike Tannenbaum, I would keep Sanchez and clean the locker room up. Trade malcontents, even if it means trading Santonio Holmes. There are going to be enough good wide receivers coming into free agency that Holmes can be replaced. The Jets could also use some offensive linemen that can block the speed rushers that are now predominant on defensive lines everywhere. Wayne Hunter was terrible on the right side and finding a right tackle who is good, not great but just good enough, is a lot easier than finding a quarterback in the draft. Sanchez hasn't been terrible. Sure, he has been at times, but so have a lot of quarterbacks, even Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and Philip Rivers to name a few. These are excellent quarterbacks. Instead of throwing their quarterback under the bus, the Jets should do what the Giants did for Eli, get rid of malcontents that hinder the quarterbacks growth. The Giants got rid of Jeremy Shockey, a pest by all accounts who pestered Eli in the huddle to throw him the football. Once Shockey got injured and was no longer in the huddle the Giants went on to win a Super Bowl and ever since Eli has gotten better and better with a few bumps in the road. If Santonio Holmes is degrading the man throwing him the football then Holmes has to go. Wide receivers can be found, franchise quarterbacks can't.
If the Jets management really believes that Mark Sanchez is not the answer then they had better draft a quarterback and develop him, especially if they are going after Peyton if he becomes available. This year's quarterback crop, at least in projected elite quarterbacks, is short. Still, a Brandon Weeden, an older quarterback a la Chris Weinke, will be available when the Jets pick in a middle round. If not, there should be someone who can at least compete for a spot. Is Greg McElroy the answer? Unknown but doubtful. Obtaining Peyton's services will surely mean a capable backup will be necessary, just in case. We all know the Jets are built to compete now. They are aging, and in some spots aging poorly. They don't have a legitimate pass rush and rely on schemes to get to the quarterback or defend against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have all the time in the world to throw and that will lead to someone getting open. Sure, the Jets have Darrelle Revis but unless they clone him the chances are that one of the opposing team's wide receivers will get open against Antonio Cromartie or Kyle Wilson.
The Jets problems didn't stem from the quarterback position. Yes, Sanchez threw untimely interceptions and fumbled at inopportune moments. However, his ground game was putrid to start the year. Shonn Greene did eventually emerge as a 1,000 yard rusher but his inability early in the year to get major chunks of yardage compounded the Jets offensive woes, especially when two of the teams top three receivers were over thirty-four years-old and one hadn't played football in three years. Despite all of the Jets offensive problems, Sanchez improved on his completion percentage (56.7, up from 54.8 in 2010) and threw 26 touchdowns, up from 17 the year before. His yards gained per completion were the lowest they had been since he came into the NFL at 11.3, further testimony of the Jets older receiving corps.
Mark Sanchez has talent. Will he be what Peyton Manning was in his prime? Probably not, in fact I'd bet on it. Few quarterbacks can ever hope to be. Eli Manning isn't as good as his brother and yet has more Super Bowl rings than Peyton. Winning Super Bowls is not just a quarterback thing. Even Peyton in his prime would have a hard time winning a Super Bowl with the Jets and their current roster. There is no Dwight Freeney of Robert Mathis to get to the opposing team's QB. There is no Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. Holmes has talent but he also has what appears to be an attitude problem. There are much bigger problems on the Jets than their quarterback. They need a pass rush. They need a right tackle. They need a younger, more capable back than LaDainian Tomlinson to share some duties with Shonn Greene. They have an emerging tight end in Dustin Keller. They have a left tackle in D'Brickashaw Ferguson. They have a center in Nick Mangold. They have the shut-down corner in Revis. Their linebacking corps is aging but very good. They need some safety help. They need young wide receivers that can stretch the field with their speed, something the Jets really didn't have. The Jets don't need a quarterback, especially a thirty-six year old one who is not a sure thing to stay healthy. If Mike Tannenbaum thinks this is the route the Jets should go down then perhaps Woody Johnson should go another route in the general manager department. Obtaining Peyton Manning might...might help the Jets for a year or two but he could also set them back five years, something I don't think Jets fans can tolerate.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Cashman and his Pitchers
With the A.J. Burnett saga looking like it is coming to an end, I wanted to take a look at the free agents pitchers signed, and the trades Cashman has made for pitchers since becoming GM of the Yankees in 1998. I will start in 1998 and do a year by year trade and free agent signing review. This is for pitchers only. Here goes:
1998:
- Signed Orlando Hernandez as an amateur free agent. This move gets an A+. El Duque was one of the Yankees best starters in the postseason. There were few pitchers in baseball anyone trusted more with a game on the line.
- There wasn't much else to do to this team. The core was still together and the Yankees would roll to baseball's best record and eventually a World Series title.
1999:
- Brian Cashman had a bit of a problem. Scott Brosius was a clutch player, a good defensive third baseman, and fit in well with the Yankee scheme. The Yankees had a super third base prospect in Mike Lowell and had just drafted another third base phenom in the 1998 draft in Drew Henson. Cashman's solution was to trade the ready for the big league Mike Lowell to the Marlins for Ed Yarnall, Todd Noel, and Mark Johnson, three minor league pitchers. Yarnall at one time was considered one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game. Lowell would go on to win World Series titles with the Marlins and Red Sox and make 3 All-Star game appearances, and won a Gold Glove. For his career he managed to drive in 952 runs over 13 seasons, hit 223 home runs and produce an OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) of .805 for his career. Cashman's first major trade was a terrible one. Yarnall flamed out and would be traded to the Reds. Noel made a couple of relief appearances and would be gone. Johnson never made the Yankees.
- The second major trade for Brian Cashman was a blockbuster. He traded Homer Bush, Graeme Lloyd, and David Wells to the Blue Jays for Roger Clemens. This trade gets an A+ as Clemens helped lead the Yankees to two more World Series titles and won a Cy Young. I'm not getting into performance enhancing drugs here, you make your own call. David Wells, as we will see later would come back to the Yankees.
- The third trade of the year for Cashman came after the 1999 season, on December 22nd. He shipped Hideki Irabu off to the Montreal Expos for Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, and Christian Parker. Westbrook and Lilly would end up becoming reliable starters, both still pitching to this day. Unfortnately, neither of them did it with the Yankees for very long. Parker made one start for the Yankees and that was it. Westbrook and Lilly were two useable pitchers and Irabu had worn out his welcome in the Bronx. Good trade by Cashman.
2000:
- It was a minor move at the time but Cashman signed Chien Ming Wang to an amateur free agent contract. It would be a few years before people realized who Wang was but he would go on to win 19 games twice for the Yankees.
- Jake Westbrook didn't last long as a Yankee. He was shipped to the Indians with Zach Day, and Ricky Ledee in exchange for David Justice in June. Justice did help the Yankees limp into the playoffs and go on to win the 2000 World Series. Westbrook would go on to win 44 games between 2004 and 2006.
- The other mid-season trade occurred on July 12th when the Yankees acquired Denny Neagle from the Reds in exchange for Jackson Meilan, Drew Henson, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall. Neagle was supposed to stabilize a rotation that suddenly wasn't getting the job done. David Cone wasn't the same since his perfect game against the Expos. Neagle didn't do anything to help and the Yankees faded down the stretch and were lucky to make the playoffs. He would be allowed to leave as a free agent at the end of the season. However, none of the guys Cashman gave up made an impact in the big leagues. Henson was reacquired for Wily Mo Pena just before the start of the 2001 season.
- In December, Cashman signed Mike Mussina. Mussina would be the second best free agent singing Cashman has made behind C.C. Sabathia. There isn't much else to say about Moose, he was a good one.
2001:
- The first major pitching move, if you could call it that, was the acquisition of Enrique Wilson, a utility infielder in exchange for Damaso Marte. Marte will sound familiar to Yankee fans because in 2008, the Yankees acquired him from the Pirates to help fill the left-handed specialist role out of the bullpen. I don't know what Cashman was thinking. A hard-throwing lefty for a utility infielder who hit .216 as a Yankee. But hey, someone had to replace Luis Sojo, right? Yep, great move, or not.
- In June, the Yankees began to look for bullpen help. Jeff Nelson, the reliable set-up man, was gone. So, the Yankees shipped D'Angelo Jimenez to the Padres for reliever Jay Witasick. Witasick was not good but not awful but never earned Joe Torre's trust which might have saved his arm some major surgeries. Witasick would be traded at the end of the year to the Giants for John Van Der Wal, a spare outfielder and pinch-hitter.
- On July 1st, Cashman was on the troll again for relief help, trying to replace that Jeff Nelson fellow. This time he sent minor-leaguer Ricardo Aromboles to the Reds (there was a lot of trades with the Reds during this stretch wasn't there?) in exchange for Mark Wohlers, the former Braves closer mostly famous for giving up the game-tying home run to Jim Leyritz in the 1996 World Series. Wohlers wasn't very good. Not at all. Needless to say, Wohlers didn't win the set-up man role.
- On July 4th, the Yankees gave reliever Brian Boehringer his independence from the team and sent him to the Giants for backup catcher Bobby Estalella and minor leaguer Joe Smith. Boehringer pitched pretty well with the Yankees but I guess not good enough.
- On July 30th, the Yankees acquired a friendly face as they received Sterling Hitchcock from the Padres in exchange for Darren Blakely and Brett Jodie. Hitchcock was not very good as either a starter or reliever. But, the Yankees didn't give anything up to get him so you can't blame Cashman for rolling the dice on a guy who knew the Yankee clubhouse.
- After the season, the Yankees looked to the free agent market to fill the void left by Jeff Nelson's departure. They had to look somewhere since the trades Cashman made didn't work out. The first free agent reliever the Yankees gave a big contract to was Steve Karsay. Karsay wasn't bad. He was just never healthy. The Yankees spent $21 million for four years of a mostly injured Steve Karsay. He only appeared in 91 games, 78 of which came in his first year as a Yankee after only appearing in 31 the year before with the Indians. Thank you Joe Torre!
2002:
- Cashman kicked off the year by signing old friend David Wells as a free agent. Wells would go on to win 34 games for the Yankees over the next two years, the exact same number of wins he had in his first 2-year stint with the Yankees. This was a good move by Cashman.
- On July 5th, Cashman made one of the worst trades he has ever made. It was a three team deal that saw the Yankees send Ted Lilly, Jason Arnold, and John-Ford Griffin to the A's. The Yankees received Jeff Weaver from the Tigers. Weaver was a former first pick and never got into a groove on some awful Tigers teams. Lilly was being used as a spot-starter on the Yankees, never getting much of a chance except when there was an injury to one of the starters. Lilly would go on to win 115 games for the A's, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Dodgers. Weaver is out of baseball. Weaver was absolutely terrible as a Yankee, he went 12-12 with a 5.35 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and was even worse in the playoffs. Bad move. Lilly was, and has been a much better pitcher over the last decade than Weaver was over his entire career.
- After the 2002 season the Yankees began gearing up for 2003. In December, they signed Chris Hammond, a lefty reliever coming off of a monster year with the Braves. Hammond posted a 0.95 ERA and went 7-2 out of the bullpen for the Braves. Cashman was still trying to find the guy to set up for Mariano Rivera and Hammond was another roll of the dice, a pitcher coming off a career year. Hammond wasn't awful in Pinstripes, not by a long shot. He appeared in 62 games in 2003, posted a 3-2 mark with a 2.86 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Steady numbers. He was traded following the 2003 season as we will see later.
2003:
- Cashman started the year by shipping Orlando Hernandez to the White Sox in exchange for middle reliever Antonio Osuna and a minor leaguer whose mother never knew he played baseball, Delvis Lantigua. The White Sox flipped El Duque and some minor leaguers/fringe major leaguers a few days later to the Expos for Bartolo Colon, who was acquired by then-Expos GM Omar Minaya in exchange for Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips the year before. El Duque never pitched for the Expos due to injury. I guess getting Osuna, who at least pitched that year in exchange for someone who didn't pitch at all is a win.
- Another middle reliever was signed, this time it was Juan Acevedo. Acevedo was coming off of a career year with the Tigers and Cashman hoped he could maybe step in as a dependable reliever. Yeah, that didn't happen and Acevedo was released in June and was out of baseball by the next year.
- In February, Cashman signed Jon Lieber to a two-year contract. Leiber was a former 20 game winner with the Cubs but had just undergone Tommy John surgery. The first year Leiber rehabbed his arm. The second year, 2004, Leiber would become arguably the best Yankee pitcher down the stretch. A risky but smart move by Cashman.
- Two days later, Cashman swooped in and stole Jose Contreras out from under the Red Sox nose and signed the Cuban star as a free agent. Contreras was supposed to be Luis Tiant reincarnated. Well, he wasn't. He is still pitching as a reliever and is fairly decent but the Yankees got little to return on Contreras except the "Evil Empire" moniker that Red Sox President Larry Lucchino placed up the Yankees.
- The search for quality relief led Cashman to swing another trade in July, this time acquiring Armando Benitez from the Mets in exchange for Jason Anderson, and two other minor leaguers whose mothers didn't even know they played baseball. Benitez is the rare guy who actually pitched worse than his 1-1 record and 1.93 ERA as evidenced by his 1.50 WHIP. He blew a game against the Red Sox and that led the "can't handle the big game" label to be placed squarely on Armando's back. He would have one more season, as the Marlins closer, that was good before imploding faster than a sinking Russian nuclear sub. We will soon find out Mr. Benitez's fate with the Yankees. Here's a hint, he only pitched in 9 games for them.
- Cashman continued to look for bullpen help, this time getting Jesse Orosco from the Padres. Orosco was 46 years-old at the time and was expected to be the lefty-specialist the Yankees needed. Well, it didn't work out and Orosco called it a career after getting dealt to the Twins. He did put up some interesting numbers as a Yankee though. They include a 10.38 ERA, 4.1 innings across 15 games, and a WHIP of 2.308. I seriously might have been able to do just as bad, maybe even better.
- With Orosco not working out, Cashman swung another deal with the Reds, this time getting Gabe White as part of a conditional deal. White wasn't the answer either but since nothing big was given up for White Cashman gets a pass on this deal. It was just another transaction in a long line of transactions for middle relievers that never seemed to work out.
- At the trade deadline, Cashman traded a fading Robin Ventura to the Dodgers for outfielder Bubba Crosby and reliever Scott Proctor. It would be a little while for Proctor to make his Yankees debut and his arm would never be the same as Joe Torre trusted him and rode Proctor into the ground, literally ruining his career and blowing out his arm. At the time, this seemed like a good trade. Ventura was a shell of his former self and the Yankees had Aaron Boone coming in from the Reds. Proctor, at time, seemed like he might be the guy who could bridge the gap from starters to Mariano. Then Joe Torre happened.
- In August of 2003, the Yankees had tired of Armando Benitez and shipped him to the Mariners for Jeff Nelson. The Yankees had been trying to find a replacement for Nelson ever since Nelson left. They didn't want to pay Nelson a crazy amount of money and instead wound up spending more on guys who couldn't replace him. The sad thing was, Nelson was not the Jeff Nelson the Yankees remembered and he would be gone at the end of the year and the quest to find a replacement for Jeff Nelson continued.
- In December of 2003, only a couple of months after the Yankees lost the World Series to the Marlins, Cashman found himself trying to replace 3/5ths of his starting rotation. Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros. Roger Clemens retired and then unretired and signed with the Astros. David Wells was allowed to leave as a free agent as he was getting old and his chronic medical problems made him a little too risky going forward. Enter Kevin Brown. Brown was coming off an excellent year with the Dodgers and the Yankees needed pitchers. Brown was, at the time, signed to a ridiculous contract and the Yankees had money to burn. They shipped Yhency Brazoban, failure Jeff Weaver, and Brandon Weeden (who is now hoping to be drafted in the NFL after being a fairly successful QB in college this past season) to the Dodgers for Brown. The problem was Brown was 39 years old when he pitched for the Yankees, made a ton of money, and was now expected to jump alongside Mike Mussina as the teams new 1-2 punch. Well, it didn't work out that way and Yankee fans remember Brown as one of the reasons the Red Sox did what they did in 2004 and also for punching a wall with his hand and missing several starts because of it. Failure.
- Three days after getting Brown, the Yankees addressed their rotation again, obtaining Javier Vazquez from the Expos in exchange for Nick Johnson, Randy Choate, and Juan Rivera. Vazquez was supposed to be the new Pedro Martinez, a good pitcher in Montreal being held back by a terrible team. Vazquez would make the 2004 All-Star team because he did pitch well the first half of the season and it looked like the Yankees had a new, young, stud pitcher going forward. Then the second-half collapse came and Javier's ERA exploded. He wasn't much better in the playoffs, in fact he was worse. The Yankees cut ties with Javy after the season.
- The day after the Yankees got Javy, they signed Paul Quantrill, another reliever they hoped would carry the success from the previous year's career year into the Yankee bullpen. Quantrill was a proven workhorse, someone Joe Torre could ride forever. He led the league in appearances the previous three years and was fairly successful. One of those seasons was even in the American League East with the Blue Jays. Well, Quantrill would be ridden hard by Joe Torre in 2004, even if he wasn't very effective. He led the league once again in appearances with 86! However, he was a mid-thirties pitcher with a million miles on his arm and Cashman still gave him $3 million per year. Ugggh!
- Chris Hammond was shipped away to the A's for two minor leaguers that never helped the Yankees at all. Granted, Hammond was 37 going on 38 when the Yankees traded him but he had shown he could be fairly successful out of the bullpen. He had a couple of decent years left in him before retiring. Eh, whatever, right?
- On December 16th, the Yankees thought they found the answer to their set-up man question. Tom Gordon was signed to be that guy. He was good but not great. In 2004, he was very good, then hit a bit of wall in the playoffs, probably from being abused by Joe Torre. He was abused once again in 2005, appearing in 79 games after getting into 80 games in 2004. At 38 years-old, the Yankees figured they used up all of the good Tom Gordon and let him walk via free agency after 2005.
2004:
- The year started off kind of slow pitching wise. The Yankees had made their big splashes at the end of 2003 to get ready for the 2004 season. They would trade Alfonso Soriano for Alex Rodriguez. Bring in the washed-up Donovan Osborne and actually allow him to pitch big league innings.
- Orlando Hernandez was brought back and he pitched fairly well between injuries.
- In May, the Yankees made a minor deal that sent a minor leaguer to the Dodgers and received Tanyon Sturtze. Poor Sturtze would become trusted by Joe Torre who developed weird relationships with relievers that he trusted, even if they weren't the best out there. He would then ride those men into the ground out of fear of giving the ball to someone else. I think Torre suffered from PTSD after Nelson and Mike Stanton left.
- Gabe White was sent back to the Reds in June for Charlie Manning and cash. Manning was one of the pitching prospects the Yankees sent to the Reds in one of their 4,000 deals over the last couple of years.
- In July, the Yankees signed amateur free agent Ivan Nova. Looking good so far.
- At the July 31st trading deadline, the Yankees sent Jose Contreras packing, finally having seen enough of him. He was sent to the White Sox for Esteban Loaiza who miraculously won 21 games the year before with the White Sox and then imploded. Loaiza is gone from baseball. Contreras is still pitching out of the bullpen.
- In December, after the Red Sox bounced the patched together Yankees from the ALCS, Cashman went out and brought in Mike Stanton, who was another reliever Joe Torre couldn't live without in exchange for Felix Heredia. Stanton had been on the Mets the previous two years and was now a 38 year-old relief pitcher. Well, Stanton was awful and would be released after appearing in just 28 games with the 2005 Yankees. Bringing Jeff Nelson back to replace Jeff Nelson didn't work and bringing Mike Stanton back rto replace Mike Stanton didn't work.
- To help bolster the bullpen, (see a theme here with a lot of these trades and signings?) the Yankees shipped a disgruntled Kenny Lofton to the Phillies for a hard-throwing reliever named Felix Rodriguez. F-Rod was only 32 years-old and had been one of the better relievers over the last few seasons...in the National League. Needless to say, Rodriguez didn't last with the Yankees and was allowed to walk as a free agent after the 2005 season.
- Kevin Brown, and Javier Vazquez weren't working out for the Yankees. Esteban Loaiza didn't work out. Jon Leiber was a free agent. The Yankees once again needed pitching help. In December of 2004, the Yankees tried to bring in pitchers that would prevent the Red Sox from embarrassing them in the playoffs ever again. Enter Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright. Pavano was signed on Dec. 20th and Wright was signed Dec. 28th. Pavano was given a 4-year contract worth over $40 million. Jaret Wright, coming off that career year in the National League was given $21 over 3 years. Well, Pavano made 26 starts for the Yankees...over the entire length of the contract. He missed all of 2006 and never made more than 17 starts in a season. Of course, I forgot to mention Carl Pavano was also coming off a career year in the NAtional League and the Yankees remembered him from the 2003 World Series. There is nothing else that needs to be said...go up to a Yankee fan and mention Carl Pavano and their reaction will tell you all you need to know.
- Jaret Wright was the other big free agent signing that was supposed to remake the Yankees rotation. He was a power pitcher and...well he wasn't the same pitcher that dominated Yankee bats in the 1997 AL Playoffs that's for sure. I don't know what the Yankees were thinking giving Jaret Wright that contract.
2005:
- Javy Vazquez was considered a failure after one season in the Bronx. The Yankees needed dominant pitching. Enter Randy Johnson. The Big Unit was acquired from the Dimaondbacks in exchange for Javy, Brad Halsey, and Dioner Navarro. Randy Johnson was coming off a year where he struck out 290 batters to lead the Majors. George Steinbrenner had a thing for Johnson ever since he was a Mariner. Of course, he was past 40 when the Yankees acquired him and he pitched better than most 40 year-olds probably could. He won 34 games as a Yankee over 2 seasons. His first season in Pinstripes was pretty good, winning 17 games and posting a 3.79 ERA and piling up 211 strikeouts. But, Randy was a cantankerous soul and would be gone from the Yankees after only two year. Javier Vazquez has actually outpitched Randy Johnson since the trade and is 10 years younger. But, hey, mess up once with the Yankees and you gotta get packing.
- In February, the Yankees brought back Ramiro Mendoza. He was another former Yankee bullpen arm that they always had trouble replacing. Like Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton before him, Mendoza's second time with the Yankees was forgettable. He appeared in 1 game and was gone from baseball.
- Speaking of returns, Brian Boehringer was signed on July 1st, his third go around with the Yankees. When in doubt bring in a familiar face, eh Brian? Less than a month later he was released without ever appearing in a game.
- Paul Quantrill, the used up middle reliever, was used as trade bait to help out the Yankee rotation which was injury plagued to say the least. Come on, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano people. Kevin Brown who last played with Ty Cobb, and Randy Johnson who George sometimes called Walter...old and beat up were the Yankees. In return for Quantrill, the Yankees receiver Darrell May and Tim Redding. They needed people to fill in as starters and they picked the two most unqualified guys to ever do that. May was a 33 year-old wannabe Major Leaguer. Redding was a little younger, 27, and both were equally horrible in Pinstripes. However, the Yankees farm system didn't have much in the way of Major League-ready arms with the exception of Chien Ming Wang and this is what they had to resort to to try and fill in some starts.
- After May and Redding flamed out, the Yankees acquired Al Letier from the Marlins as part of a conditional deal. Leiter was 39 and nearing the end of a very successful career. Sadly, he wasn't the answer either.
- Just a few days before the trading deadline, the Yankees were still looking for someone to pitch some innings from the 5th spot in the rotation. So they acquired Shawn Chacon from the Rockies for Eduardo Sierra and Ramon Ramirez. Chacon was a flash in the pan, pitching well his first year with the Yankees and stabilizing the back end of the rotation along with fellow flash in the pan Aaron Small. By the next year Chacon was awful...or normal, and he was shipped to the Pirates for Craig Wilson in 2006.
- I bet most Yankee fans don't remember how desperate they were for pitching that year. Well, they signed Hideo Nomo at one point, though he never appeared in a game for them. He was a washed-up shell of his former self.
- The bullpen was still a mish-mash and the Yankees were in need of a left-handed reliever. Sound familiar? Well enter Alan Embree, formerly of the Red Sox. Exit Alan Embree after posting a 7.53 ERA in 24 appearances spanning 14.1 innings.
- Bullpen problems? What bullpen problems? The Yankees acquired Ron Villone from the Marlins in exchange for a minor leaguer. Villone was a lefty. Maybe he could get lefty hitters out. Right?
- In December, after letting tom Gordon walk via free agency, the Yankees found hard-throwing Kyle Farnsworth sitting out there, waiting to have money thrown at him. Cashman had the money and he did the throwing, inking Farnsworth to a 3 year, $18 million contract. Farnsworth was coming off a good season that he split between Detroit and Atlanta, had never shown consistent stuff but had a lively fastball and sometimes had a nasty slider. Oh, what a Jeff Nelson he could be, Cashman probably thought to himself. He resembled the second coming of Jeff Nelson more than the first and was traded in his thrid year with the team. If he had been healthy all year long Joe Torre might have blown out his arm and saved other managers the frustration of having to put Farnsworth in the game. In all seriousness he is a nice guy and is a serviceable middle reliever, just not worth the money the Yankees threw at him with the expectations that came with it. Another middle-reliever fail.
- Then, on December 15th, the Yankees signed Mike Myers. The answer to the Mike Stanton replacement question...at the moment. Myers was a lefty, was 37 years old, and, did I mention he was a lefty? Myers was going to finally be the guy to get out David Ortiz. Myers wasn't awful but he was frustrating. He would get out a righty, face Ortiz and give up a homer. Or he would give up a base-hit to the only lefty he would face, leave the game and get ready for tomorrow's lefty hitter. He wasn't consistent and was maddening every bit as much as Boone Logan is today. Maybe more so. Middle relief fail #3,906.
2006:
- The bullpen was still up in the air...as if it had ever been settled since 2000, so the Yankees signed Octavio Dotel to a contract. Dotel, like Leiber before him, was rehabbing from surgery but it was a low-risk, potential high reward deal. Dotel pitched in 14 games for the 2006 yankees, wasn't very good and was allowed to leave as a free agent. Dotel would recover fully from his surgery and be a pretty good reliever and is still pitching today at age 37.
- Some minor pitching moves took place in January and February. Ramiro Mendoza was signed to a free agent contract. Presumably to replace himself. Darrell Rasner was claimed off of waivers from the Washington Nationals. Mendoza never appeared in a game again in baseball and Rasner would be a somewhat decent fill-in starter for the Yankees over the next couple of years before taking his talents to Asia. The Yankees also signed 38 year0old Scott Erickson to a deal. That would have been awesome if this were 1990, not 2006. Erickson was done, washed up and used. He still made it into 9 games with the Yankees before Cashman realized there were better options out there.
- On July 1st, the Yankees took a chance on the recently released Brian Bruney. Bruney had an excellent fastball and had had problems controlling that pitch. He would become a pretty good bullpen guy before losing his control again and some fastball velocity. But the bullpen is the most volatile part of any teams roster and a roll of the dice with a guy like Bruney can sometimes heap huge rewards. you don't have to spend $21 million over 4 years for a reliever.
- For some reason Cashman had a short obsession with washed-up former Orioles. First it was Scott Erickson then came Sidney Ponson. Ponson somehow managed to make 3 starts and 2 relief appearances in 2006 for the Yankees. He was released just over a month later, in August. What is even crazier is that he was brought back in 2008 as we will see later.
- On August 11th, Cashman signed John Axford to a minor league deal. Axford didn't do anything special for the Yankees but has gone on to become one of the best closers in baseball. Weird how that works sometimes, huh?
- On November 10th, tired of the Gary Sheffield act, and with Bobby Abreu now in right field, the Yankees shipped Sheff to the Tigers for three minor league pitchers, Anthony Claggett, Kevin Whelan, and Humberto Sanchez. Whelan is the only one still in the Yankees organization, but all three made appearances for the Yankees. Claggett was awful. Sanchez never recovered from the arm surgery, and Whelan is a AAA closer that has trouble finding the strike zone too often. All that for Gary Sheffield!
- On November 12th, the Yankees shipped Jaret Wright who was terrible as a starter to the Orioles for reliever Chris Britton. Britton would become somewhat famous for seemingly using up all of his options in the span of seven minutes as the Yankees shuttled him back and forth between Scranton and New York in 2007.
- On December 8th, the Yankees went all redux again, this time successfully. They brought back Andy Pettitte. I don't need to say anything more about Andy.
- On December 19th, after watching the Red Sox sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Yankees dipped back into the Japanese leagues. This time they came up with Kei Igawa, and gave him a 5 year deal worth $4 million a year. He made most of his money setting AA and AAA pitching records. Good for him, I guess. Igawa will forever be the ink stain on Cashman's shirt. He appeared in 16 game, 13 starts, for the Yankees, posted an ungodly ERA of 6.66 (see what I did there?) and allowed 15 homers in 71.2 innings. Yikes! The saga of Igawa is sad. the guy wanted to pitch, he never gave up, even when the Yankees offered to end the pain. He is a free agent now, and Brian Cashman can sleep at night...sort of...when stalkers aren't ringing his doorbell I guess.
2007:
- The Yankees had let the Randy Johnson experiment go on far too long. He was miserable, fans were miserable, and Cashman was miserable. On January 9th, he was dealt to the Diamondbacks for Luis Vizcaino (he might be an answer as a middle reliever, hopefully, maybe?), minor league shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, and minor league pitchers Ross Ohlendorf and Steven Jackson. All of these guys would see time with the big club. Ohlendorf, who will pop up again later, was the best of the bunch. Vizcaino followed Octavio Dotel, Tom Gordon, Kyle Farnsworth, Felix Rodriguez, etc. out of town.
- May 6th, Susan Waldman makes hysterical noises on the radio, yelling "Roger Clemens is in Gawge Steinbrennah's bawx!" a few thousand times as the Yankees dramatically announced Roger Clemens would be coming back to join Andy Pettitte back in the Bronx. Roger was later seen bench pressing the Old Yankee Stadium which would ruin the foundation of the landmark and lead the Yankees to have to build a whole new Stadium. OK, that last part isn't true.
- Bye-bye Scott Proctor. At the trading deadline, the Yankees shipped Scott Proctor off to the Dodgers in exchange for utility guy Wilson Betemit. Scott Proctor, who somehow managed to make an appearance in every Yankee game since Billy Martin was manager, was probably very glad to get away from Joe Torre who actually held Proctor hostage in the bullpen chained to a wall and fed leftover hot dogs. OK, that's not true but it sure seemed like it. Proctor would later wonder what he did to piss God off when Torre followed him out to Los Angeles a year later.
- On December 4th, the Yankees traded one of their top pitching prospects, Tyler Clippard to the Washington Nationals for reliever Jonathan Alabadejo. Clippard had a very nive MLB debut against the Mets but Cashman got impatient. Clippard is now famous for "Clipparding" wins in Washington where he actually made the All-Star team last season. He is the vulture extraordinaire, getting wins and pitching well despite not pitching well. Wish I could do that. Either way, this was a win for the Nats. Alabadejo used the Scranton Shuttle almost as often as Chris Britton.
- On December 12th, the Yankees remembered Andy Pettitte was a free agent, unlike in 2003, and they actually re-signed him! Hooray!
- On December 21st, the Yankees thought they had themselves a new bullpen arm when they inked LaTroy Hawkins to a contract worht over $3 million per year. Hawkins was coming off of a sensational year and Cashman finally thought this was the year the pitcher coming off of a career year in the NL would translate into the AL in Pinstripes. Except the story didn't end up that way. Hawkins went from having a good year with Colorado in 2007, to being God-awful for the Yankees in 2008, to being dominant for the Astros after the Yankees traded him in June for Matt Cusick. Wow, great job.
2008:
- The Yankees had been scrap-heaping arms in AAA. They signed Billy Traber (lefty!) and Heath Phillips (lefty!) to minor league deals in January. Traber made the show and showed everyone he wasn't cut out for Major League Baseball. Phillips was replacement level at AAA.
- In February, the Yankees signed a little-known Mexican Leaguer named Alfredo Aceves to a deal. Aceves would become a kind of better version of Ramiro Mendoza, spot starting and relieving and vulturing wins. alas, he had trouble staying healthy and the Yankees didn't offer him a Major League contract after the 2010 season so he went to the Red Sox for 2011, battled injuries, and filled in nicely as a starter. Oh well.
- June 19th, 2008...Welcome back Sidney Ponson! Oh, you still are terrible. Darn.
- July 11th, wow, Eric Milton is a Yankee again! The top pitching prospect that was traded for Chuck Knoblauch signs a minor league deal. He never throws a pitch for the Yankees because of injuries. Not sure if Cashman was trying to Leiber him but it didn't work.
- Three days before the non-waiver trade deadline in July, the Yankees package Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutcheon to the Pirates in exchange for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Marte was traded to the Pirates years before if you recall and the Yankees really needed that lefty reliever. Nady was that extra bat the Yankees needed to propel them into the playoffs. Only they missed the playoffs in 2008. Shucks. Karstens is somehow still pitching in Pittsburgh. Ohlendorf is now a free agent and is still fairly young (redux?). Tabata, once a top prospect, has some age issues, is married to Martha Washington's slightly younger sister, had thought about quitting baseball in 2008, and is now a decent enough outfielder for the Pirates. The Pirates win this deal because they got players who are still playing for them. Nady is gone from the Yankees. Marte had a decent World Series run in 2009, got re-signed, and hurt himself. Or maybe he robbed a bank and ran away. Who knows? Who cares?
- July 30th saw the Yankees make two trades, the LaTroy Hawkins trade with Houston and they actually found a taker for Kyle Farnsworth, sending him to the tigers in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez. Yes, Pudge Rodriguez. Same guy, different decade.
- In December of 2008, the Yankees lost Ivan Nova in the Rule 5 Draft to the San Diego Padres. Luckily for the Yankees, they returned him. Phew!
- Having just missed the playoffs, Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner decided they were not gonna let that happen again. So the first strike in free agency was for A.J. Burnett, the very pitcher who inspired this post to begin with. Burnett had a decent year in 2009. a terrible one in 2010. And a blah, bad one in 2011. The Yankees have two years left of Burnett that they are trying to unload on someone (Pirates?) and a total of $33 million. Yikes! That contract hasn't worked out at all like the Yankees hoped. At least he wasn't Pavano or Igawa, right? Right?
- Just days after inking the inked up Burnett, Cashman landed his man, C.C. Sabathia to a monster deal. Mussina was retiring and the Yankees needed an ace. Wang was done with the Yankees, and the Yankees needed an ace. Did I mention they needed an ace? Anyway, Sabathia is Cashman's best move and his best pitching move since becoming GM. Mike Mussina's free agent contract is #2. Yay Sabathia!
2009:
- Nothing but minor pitching moves to begin the year. Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte headlined the rotation. The Yankees inked some journeymen who might be able to fill-in in a pinch like Jason Johnson, Brett Tomko, Casey Fossum, Russ Ortiz, and Josh Towers. None really contributed much. Then there was the purchase of Chad Gaudin from the Padres. He wasn't terrible in 2009 as a spot starter/long man. The Yankees lost two more middling minor league pitchers to the Pirates in Steven Jackson and Anthony Claggett. But the Yankees were set as they made their run to the World Series and a Championship. They did it one the backs of essentially three pitchers, Sabathia, Pettitte, and Burnett.
- In December, the Yankees sent Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals and instructed the Nats to select outfielder Jamie Hoffman in the Rule 5 Draft. Hoffman didn't make the Yankees and was returned to the Dodgers. Bruney has battled inconsistency and injury but the Nats got him for free.
- On December 8th, the Yankees completed a three-team trade that netted them Curtis Granderson. They gave up Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks (he won 21 games this season for them), Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Tigers. Yankee fans can't complain about the trade as Granderson was amazing last year. It is doubtful Kennedy could have been as good as he was as a Yankee. Phil Coke is a middling lefty reliever/starter who is left-handed (yes I know what I just typed).
- December 22nd was a weird day in Yankeeland. The Yankees sent young lefty Michael Dunn, Melky Cabrera, and minor league phenom Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan! Javy's back! Javy had gone on to quietly become one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball since leaving the Yanks and apparently Cashman didn't like that so he brought him back to the Bronx to ruin what remained of his life. In all seriousness, the Yankees probably shouldn't have traded Javier after one bad season and shouldn't have traded for him the second time around. Cashman loves bringing back pitchers for second looks for some reason. Well, Javier was worse this time around and Cashman had egg on his face. I mean, I don't understand what went wrong. Vazquez was, after all, coming off of a great year in the National League. I have no idea why it didn't translate.
2010:
- Sergio Mitre was re-signed. I forgot to mention when the Yankees orginally signed him in 2008. Oh well. He was originally Liebered, meaning he was injured when he signed his contract and Joe Girardi loved the guy so the Yankees thought it best to sign him, hold onto him, let him rehab and then boom! Only, the boom was supposed to be a good boom and not a bad one as Mitre ended up exploding all over the place. They are still trying to get the Mitre off the walls.
- February 28th, the Yankees signed Chan Ho Park. Park had been moderately successful in the National League before Cashman figured he would roll the dice, after all you can't fail on EVERY guy who succeeds in the NL and suddenly becomes a free agent afterward, right? Park was dreadful surrendering 7 homers in 35.1 innings. Yikes!
- May 12th, they Reduxed Tim Redding, only this time Redding never made it to the Bronx. Seriously, Cashman, what is your love affair with pitchers who weren't good enough the first time around.
-July 31st, the Yankees sent Mark Melancon and a minor leaguer to the Astros for Lance Berkman. Berkman wasn't good for the Yankees but rebounded with the Cardinals last year. Then Melancon suddenly became closer material and is now a set-up man for the Red Sox. Joy.
- In a seperate deal the Yankees acquired Kerry Wood from the Indians for two minor leaguers, one of whom was Matt Cusick. Wood was very good and helped bridge the gap to Mariano but he walked as a free agent at the end of the year. Still was a good move.
2011:
-Hello Bartolo! Bartolo Colon signed a deal with the Yankees as he attempted to make a comeback. It worked out much to everyone surprise.
- The Yankees signed Rafael Soriano, another expensive middle reliever, who had a weird first year with the Yankees. He was good and awful sometimes in the same inning. There were shades of Pavano there as well with weird injuries that were never explained. I'll give Cash a pass on him since he didn't really want him to begin with.
- Another big free agent signing was made right before the 2011 season. Pedro Feliciano, who had been abused so badly by the Mets that Cashman even criticized the MEts for his handling, was signed to a two-year deal. Feliciano's arm fell off and he will make $8 million over two years for NEVER throwing a pitch in a Yankee uniform. It's a shame too because he looked so good in those Spring Training warm-ups. This is one of the all-time worst signings by a Yankee GM.
- In February, the Yankees signed Freddy Garcia. Garcia was a bit of a gamble but it worked out and the Yankees brought him back to probably watch him come back to earth this season. Finding Freddy saved the Yanks last year, along with Bartolo.
- Luis Ayala was signed the same day as Garcia. He would have an excellent regular season as a middle reliever. He was cheap so of course he outperformed Soriano and Feliciano. See what I mean about bullpen arms? Anyway, he's an Oriole now so he might be their closer.
- On March 25th, the Yankees felt they needed an old veteran to go with all the other old vets so they signed Kevin Millwood for that just in case. They never broke the glass on him, thankfully.
- April 9th was the day the Yankees signed Carlos Silva to a contract. Another one I'm thankful never pitched in the Bronx.
- On June 16th the Yankees found Cory Wade sitting out there ready to give a good season's worth of work. Another cheap guy who outperformed the big contracts? Amazing.
- On June 29th Sergio Mitre threatened to show the world those nude photographs he has of Cashman unless Cashman traded for him and rescued him from Milwaukee. Mitre came and Yankee fans suffered.
- On July 14th, Cashman saw a lefty out there with experience in J.C. Romero. He signed Romero and stashed him in AAA. One cool thing to note, Romero has a 2011 Topps Update card of him in a Yankee uniform despite the fact that he never suited up for them. Yay airbrushes!
- Somehow, Scott Proctor escaped Joe Torre's grasp, made his way to Atlanta and Florida and then became a Yankee again and sacrificed himself for the good of getting shellacked. He would go out and try to get enough people out so that the Yankees could go home. RIP Scott Proctor.
- Just before the calendar turned to 2012, the Yankees signed Hideki Okajima, a lefty, to a minor league deal. Okajima might have three gallons left which should get him through Spring Training and earn him a spot to get shelled on the Major League roster.
2012:
- The Yankees traded top prospect Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and minor leaguer Jose Campos. No comment can be made yet.
- Three days after getting Pineda, Cashman got Hiroki Kuroda to solidify the rotation. We shall see. Remember, National League guy....north of 35 years-old. Nothing can go wrong here, right? We'll see.
- Feb. 8th, the Yankees felt like Hideki Okajima, the former Red Sox needed a friend so they brought in Manny Delcarmen, the former Red Sox to fight for a spot in the bullpen. It is doubtful he does anything special but then again, it's a minor league deal so no harm, no foul.
There it is folks. No recap needed. Judge for yourself.
1998:
- Signed Orlando Hernandez as an amateur free agent. This move gets an A+. El Duque was one of the Yankees best starters in the postseason. There were few pitchers in baseball anyone trusted more with a game on the line.
- There wasn't much else to do to this team. The core was still together and the Yankees would roll to baseball's best record and eventually a World Series title.
1999:
- Brian Cashman had a bit of a problem. Scott Brosius was a clutch player, a good defensive third baseman, and fit in well with the Yankee scheme. The Yankees had a super third base prospect in Mike Lowell and had just drafted another third base phenom in the 1998 draft in Drew Henson. Cashman's solution was to trade the ready for the big league Mike Lowell to the Marlins for Ed Yarnall, Todd Noel, and Mark Johnson, three minor league pitchers. Yarnall at one time was considered one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game. Lowell would go on to win World Series titles with the Marlins and Red Sox and make 3 All-Star game appearances, and won a Gold Glove. For his career he managed to drive in 952 runs over 13 seasons, hit 223 home runs and produce an OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) of .805 for his career. Cashman's first major trade was a terrible one. Yarnall flamed out and would be traded to the Reds. Noel made a couple of relief appearances and would be gone. Johnson never made the Yankees.
- The second major trade for Brian Cashman was a blockbuster. He traded Homer Bush, Graeme Lloyd, and David Wells to the Blue Jays for Roger Clemens. This trade gets an A+ as Clemens helped lead the Yankees to two more World Series titles and won a Cy Young. I'm not getting into performance enhancing drugs here, you make your own call. David Wells, as we will see later would come back to the Yankees.
- The third trade of the year for Cashman came after the 1999 season, on December 22nd. He shipped Hideki Irabu off to the Montreal Expos for Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, and Christian Parker. Westbrook and Lilly would end up becoming reliable starters, both still pitching to this day. Unfortnately, neither of them did it with the Yankees for very long. Parker made one start for the Yankees and that was it. Westbrook and Lilly were two useable pitchers and Irabu had worn out his welcome in the Bronx. Good trade by Cashman.
2000:
- It was a minor move at the time but Cashman signed Chien Ming Wang to an amateur free agent contract. It would be a few years before people realized who Wang was but he would go on to win 19 games twice for the Yankees.
- Jake Westbrook didn't last long as a Yankee. He was shipped to the Indians with Zach Day, and Ricky Ledee in exchange for David Justice in June. Justice did help the Yankees limp into the playoffs and go on to win the 2000 World Series. Westbrook would go on to win 44 games between 2004 and 2006.
- The other mid-season trade occurred on July 12th when the Yankees acquired Denny Neagle from the Reds in exchange for Jackson Meilan, Drew Henson, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall. Neagle was supposed to stabilize a rotation that suddenly wasn't getting the job done. David Cone wasn't the same since his perfect game against the Expos. Neagle didn't do anything to help and the Yankees faded down the stretch and were lucky to make the playoffs. He would be allowed to leave as a free agent at the end of the season. However, none of the guys Cashman gave up made an impact in the big leagues. Henson was reacquired for Wily Mo Pena just before the start of the 2001 season.
- In December, Cashman signed Mike Mussina. Mussina would be the second best free agent singing Cashman has made behind C.C. Sabathia. There isn't much else to say about Moose, he was a good one.
2001:
- The first major pitching move, if you could call it that, was the acquisition of Enrique Wilson, a utility infielder in exchange for Damaso Marte. Marte will sound familiar to Yankee fans because in 2008, the Yankees acquired him from the Pirates to help fill the left-handed specialist role out of the bullpen. I don't know what Cashman was thinking. A hard-throwing lefty for a utility infielder who hit .216 as a Yankee. But hey, someone had to replace Luis Sojo, right? Yep, great move, or not.
- In June, the Yankees began to look for bullpen help. Jeff Nelson, the reliable set-up man, was gone. So, the Yankees shipped D'Angelo Jimenez to the Padres for reliever Jay Witasick. Witasick was not good but not awful but never earned Joe Torre's trust which might have saved his arm some major surgeries. Witasick would be traded at the end of the year to the Giants for John Van Der Wal, a spare outfielder and pinch-hitter.
- On July 1st, Cashman was on the troll again for relief help, trying to replace that Jeff Nelson fellow. This time he sent minor-leaguer Ricardo Aromboles to the Reds (there was a lot of trades with the Reds during this stretch wasn't there?) in exchange for Mark Wohlers, the former Braves closer mostly famous for giving up the game-tying home run to Jim Leyritz in the 1996 World Series. Wohlers wasn't very good. Not at all. Needless to say, Wohlers didn't win the set-up man role.
- On July 4th, the Yankees gave reliever Brian Boehringer his independence from the team and sent him to the Giants for backup catcher Bobby Estalella and minor leaguer Joe Smith. Boehringer pitched pretty well with the Yankees but I guess not good enough.
- On July 30th, the Yankees acquired a friendly face as they received Sterling Hitchcock from the Padres in exchange for Darren Blakely and Brett Jodie. Hitchcock was not very good as either a starter or reliever. But, the Yankees didn't give anything up to get him so you can't blame Cashman for rolling the dice on a guy who knew the Yankee clubhouse.
- After the season, the Yankees looked to the free agent market to fill the void left by Jeff Nelson's departure. They had to look somewhere since the trades Cashman made didn't work out. The first free agent reliever the Yankees gave a big contract to was Steve Karsay. Karsay wasn't bad. He was just never healthy. The Yankees spent $21 million for four years of a mostly injured Steve Karsay. He only appeared in 91 games, 78 of which came in his first year as a Yankee after only appearing in 31 the year before with the Indians. Thank you Joe Torre!
2002:
- Cashman kicked off the year by signing old friend David Wells as a free agent. Wells would go on to win 34 games for the Yankees over the next two years, the exact same number of wins he had in his first 2-year stint with the Yankees. This was a good move by Cashman.
- On July 5th, Cashman made one of the worst trades he has ever made. It was a three team deal that saw the Yankees send Ted Lilly, Jason Arnold, and John-Ford Griffin to the A's. The Yankees received Jeff Weaver from the Tigers. Weaver was a former first pick and never got into a groove on some awful Tigers teams. Lilly was being used as a spot-starter on the Yankees, never getting much of a chance except when there was an injury to one of the starters. Lilly would go on to win 115 games for the A's, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Dodgers. Weaver is out of baseball. Weaver was absolutely terrible as a Yankee, he went 12-12 with a 5.35 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and was even worse in the playoffs. Bad move. Lilly was, and has been a much better pitcher over the last decade than Weaver was over his entire career.
- After the 2002 season the Yankees began gearing up for 2003. In December, they signed Chris Hammond, a lefty reliever coming off of a monster year with the Braves. Hammond posted a 0.95 ERA and went 7-2 out of the bullpen for the Braves. Cashman was still trying to find the guy to set up for Mariano Rivera and Hammond was another roll of the dice, a pitcher coming off a career year. Hammond wasn't awful in Pinstripes, not by a long shot. He appeared in 62 games in 2003, posted a 3-2 mark with a 2.86 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Steady numbers. He was traded following the 2003 season as we will see later.
2003:
- Cashman started the year by shipping Orlando Hernandez to the White Sox in exchange for middle reliever Antonio Osuna and a minor leaguer whose mother never knew he played baseball, Delvis Lantigua. The White Sox flipped El Duque and some minor leaguers/fringe major leaguers a few days later to the Expos for Bartolo Colon, who was acquired by then-Expos GM Omar Minaya in exchange for Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips the year before. El Duque never pitched for the Expos due to injury. I guess getting Osuna, who at least pitched that year in exchange for someone who didn't pitch at all is a win.
- Another middle reliever was signed, this time it was Juan Acevedo. Acevedo was coming off of a career year with the Tigers and Cashman hoped he could maybe step in as a dependable reliever. Yeah, that didn't happen and Acevedo was released in June and was out of baseball by the next year.
- In February, Cashman signed Jon Lieber to a two-year contract. Leiber was a former 20 game winner with the Cubs but had just undergone Tommy John surgery. The first year Leiber rehabbed his arm. The second year, 2004, Leiber would become arguably the best Yankee pitcher down the stretch. A risky but smart move by Cashman.
- Two days later, Cashman swooped in and stole Jose Contreras out from under the Red Sox nose and signed the Cuban star as a free agent. Contreras was supposed to be Luis Tiant reincarnated. Well, he wasn't. He is still pitching as a reliever and is fairly decent but the Yankees got little to return on Contreras except the "Evil Empire" moniker that Red Sox President Larry Lucchino placed up the Yankees.
- The search for quality relief led Cashman to swing another trade in July, this time acquiring Armando Benitez from the Mets in exchange for Jason Anderson, and two other minor leaguers whose mothers didn't even know they played baseball. Benitez is the rare guy who actually pitched worse than his 1-1 record and 1.93 ERA as evidenced by his 1.50 WHIP. He blew a game against the Red Sox and that led the "can't handle the big game" label to be placed squarely on Armando's back. He would have one more season, as the Marlins closer, that was good before imploding faster than a sinking Russian nuclear sub. We will soon find out Mr. Benitez's fate with the Yankees. Here's a hint, he only pitched in 9 games for them.
- Cashman continued to look for bullpen help, this time getting Jesse Orosco from the Padres. Orosco was 46 years-old at the time and was expected to be the lefty-specialist the Yankees needed. Well, it didn't work out and Orosco called it a career after getting dealt to the Twins. He did put up some interesting numbers as a Yankee though. They include a 10.38 ERA, 4.1 innings across 15 games, and a WHIP of 2.308. I seriously might have been able to do just as bad, maybe even better.
- With Orosco not working out, Cashman swung another deal with the Reds, this time getting Gabe White as part of a conditional deal. White wasn't the answer either but since nothing big was given up for White Cashman gets a pass on this deal. It was just another transaction in a long line of transactions for middle relievers that never seemed to work out.
- At the trade deadline, Cashman traded a fading Robin Ventura to the Dodgers for outfielder Bubba Crosby and reliever Scott Proctor. It would be a little while for Proctor to make his Yankees debut and his arm would never be the same as Joe Torre trusted him and rode Proctor into the ground, literally ruining his career and blowing out his arm. At the time, this seemed like a good trade. Ventura was a shell of his former self and the Yankees had Aaron Boone coming in from the Reds. Proctor, at time, seemed like he might be the guy who could bridge the gap from starters to Mariano. Then Joe Torre happened.
- In August of 2003, the Yankees had tired of Armando Benitez and shipped him to the Mariners for Jeff Nelson. The Yankees had been trying to find a replacement for Nelson ever since Nelson left. They didn't want to pay Nelson a crazy amount of money and instead wound up spending more on guys who couldn't replace him. The sad thing was, Nelson was not the Jeff Nelson the Yankees remembered and he would be gone at the end of the year and the quest to find a replacement for Jeff Nelson continued.
- In December of 2003, only a couple of months after the Yankees lost the World Series to the Marlins, Cashman found himself trying to replace 3/5ths of his starting rotation. Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros. Roger Clemens retired and then unretired and signed with the Astros. David Wells was allowed to leave as a free agent as he was getting old and his chronic medical problems made him a little too risky going forward. Enter Kevin Brown. Brown was coming off an excellent year with the Dodgers and the Yankees needed pitchers. Brown was, at the time, signed to a ridiculous contract and the Yankees had money to burn. They shipped Yhency Brazoban, failure Jeff Weaver, and Brandon Weeden (who is now hoping to be drafted in the NFL after being a fairly successful QB in college this past season) to the Dodgers for Brown. The problem was Brown was 39 years old when he pitched for the Yankees, made a ton of money, and was now expected to jump alongside Mike Mussina as the teams new 1-2 punch. Well, it didn't work out that way and Yankee fans remember Brown as one of the reasons the Red Sox did what they did in 2004 and also for punching a wall with his hand and missing several starts because of it. Failure.
- Three days after getting Brown, the Yankees addressed their rotation again, obtaining Javier Vazquez from the Expos in exchange for Nick Johnson, Randy Choate, and Juan Rivera. Vazquez was supposed to be the new Pedro Martinez, a good pitcher in Montreal being held back by a terrible team. Vazquez would make the 2004 All-Star team because he did pitch well the first half of the season and it looked like the Yankees had a new, young, stud pitcher going forward. Then the second-half collapse came and Javier's ERA exploded. He wasn't much better in the playoffs, in fact he was worse. The Yankees cut ties with Javy after the season.
- The day after the Yankees got Javy, they signed Paul Quantrill, another reliever they hoped would carry the success from the previous year's career year into the Yankee bullpen. Quantrill was a proven workhorse, someone Joe Torre could ride forever. He led the league in appearances the previous three years and was fairly successful. One of those seasons was even in the American League East with the Blue Jays. Well, Quantrill would be ridden hard by Joe Torre in 2004, even if he wasn't very effective. He led the league once again in appearances with 86! However, he was a mid-thirties pitcher with a million miles on his arm and Cashman still gave him $3 million per year. Ugggh!
- Chris Hammond was shipped away to the A's for two minor leaguers that never helped the Yankees at all. Granted, Hammond was 37 going on 38 when the Yankees traded him but he had shown he could be fairly successful out of the bullpen. He had a couple of decent years left in him before retiring. Eh, whatever, right?
- On December 16th, the Yankees thought they found the answer to their set-up man question. Tom Gordon was signed to be that guy. He was good but not great. In 2004, he was very good, then hit a bit of wall in the playoffs, probably from being abused by Joe Torre. He was abused once again in 2005, appearing in 79 games after getting into 80 games in 2004. At 38 years-old, the Yankees figured they used up all of the good Tom Gordon and let him walk via free agency after 2005.
2004:
- The year started off kind of slow pitching wise. The Yankees had made their big splashes at the end of 2003 to get ready for the 2004 season. They would trade Alfonso Soriano for Alex Rodriguez. Bring in the washed-up Donovan Osborne and actually allow him to pitch big league innings.
- Orlando Hernandez was brought back and he pitched fairly well between injuries.
- In May, the Yankees made a minor deal that sent a minor leaguer to the Dodgers and received Tanyon Sturtze. Poor Sturtze would become trusted by Joe Torre who developed weird relationships with relievers that he trusted, even if they weren't the best out there. He would then ride those men into the ground out of fear of giving the ball to someone else. I think Torre suffered from PTSD after Nelson and Mike Stanton left.
- Gabe White was sent back to the Reds in June for Charlie Manning and cash. Manning was one of the pitching prospects the Yankees sent to the Reds in one of their 4,000 deals over the last couple of years.
- In July, the Yankees signed amateur free agent Ivan Nova. Looking good so far.
- At the July 31st trading deadline, the Yankees sent Jose Contreras packing, finally having seen enough of him. He was sent to the White Sox for Esteban Loaiza who miraculously won 21 games the year before with the White Sox and then imploded. Loaiza is gone from baseball. Contreras is still pitching out of the bullpen.
- In December, after the Red Sox bounced the patched together Yankees from the ALCS, Cashman went out and brought in Mike Stanton, who was another reliever Joe Torre couldn't live without in exchange for Felix Heredia. Stanton had been on the Mets the previous two years and was now a 38 year-old relief pitcher. Well, Stanton was awful and would be released after appearing in just 28 games with the 2005 Yankees. Bringing Jeff Nelson back to replace Jeff Nelson didn't work and bringing Mike Stanton back rto replace Mike Stanton didn't work.
- To help bolster the bullpen, (see a theme here with a lot of these trades and signings?) the Yankees shipped a disgruntled Kenny Lofton to the Phillies for a hard-throwing reliever named Felix Rodriguez. F-Rod was only 32 years-old and had been one of the better relievers over the last few seasons...in the National League. Needless to say, Rodriguez didn't last with the Yankees and was allowed to walk as a free agent after the 2005 season.
- Kevin Brown, and Javier Vazquez weren't working out for the Yankees. Esteban Loaiza didn't work out. Jon Leiber was a free agent. The Yankees once again needed pitching help. In December of 2004, the Yankees tried to bring in pitchers that would prevent the Red Sox from embarrassing them in the playoffs ever again. Enter Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright. Pavano was signed on Dec. 20th and Wright was signed Dec. 28th. Pavano was given a 4-year contract worth over $40 million. Jaret Wright, coming off that career year in the National League was given $21 over 3 years. Well, Pavano made 26 starts for the Yankees...over the entire length of the contract. He missed all of 2006 and never made more than 17 starts in a season. Of course, I forgot to mention Carl Pavano was also coming off a career year in the NAtional League and the Yankees remembered him from the 2003 World Series. There is nothing else that needs to be said...go up to a Yankee fan and mention Carl Pavano and their reaction will tell you all you need to know.
- Jaret Wright was the other big free agent signing that was supposed to remake the Yankees rotation. He was a power pitcher and...well he wasn't the same pitcher that dominated Yankee bats in the 1997 AL Playoffs that's for sure. I don't know what the Yankees were thinking giving Jaret Wright that contract.
2005:
- Javy Vazquez was considered a failure after one season in the Bronx. The Yankees needed dominant pitching. Enter Randy Johnson. The Big Unit was acquired from the Dimaondbacks in exchange for Javy, Brad Halsey, and Dioner Navarro. Randy Johnson was coming off a year where he struck out 290 batters to lead the Majors. George Steinbrenner had a thing for Johnson ever since he was a Mariner. Of course, he was past 40 when the Yankees acquired him and he pitched better than most 40 year-olds probably could. He won 34 games as a Yankee over 2 seasons. His first season in Pinstripes was pretty good, winning 17 games and posting a 3.79 ERA and piling up 211 strikeouts. But, Randy was a cantankerous soul and would be gone from the Yankees after only two year. Javier Vazquez has actually outpitched Randy Johnson since the trade and is 10 years younger. But, hey, mess up once with the Yankees and you gotta get packing.
- In February, the Yankees brought back Ramiro Mendoza. He was another former Yankee bullpen arm that they always had trouble replacing. Like Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton before him, Mendoza's second time with the Yankees was forgettable. He appeared in 1 game and was gone from baseball.
- Speaking of returns, Brian Boehringer was signed on July 1st, his third go around with the Yankees. When in doubt bring in a familiar face, eh Brian? Less than a month later he was released without ever appearing in a game.
- Paul Quantrill, the used up middle reliever, was used as trade bait to help out the Yankee rotation which was injury plagued to say the least. Come on, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano people. Kevin Brown who last played with Ty Cobb, and Randy Johnson who George sometimes called Walter...old and beat up were the Yankees. In return for Quantrill, the Yankees receiver Darrell May and Tim Redding. They needed people to fill in as starters and they picked the two most unqualified guys to ever do that. May was a 33 year-old wannabe Major Leaguer. Redding was a little younger, 27, and both were equally horrible in Pinstripes. However, the Yankees farm system didn't have much in the way of Major League-ready arms with the exception of Chien Ming Wang and this is what they had to resort to to try and fill in some starts.
- After May and Redding flamed out, the Yankees acquired Al Letier from the Marlins as part of a conditional deal. Leiter was 39 and nearing the end of a very successful career. Sadly, he wasn't the answer either.
- Just a few days before the trading deadline, the Yankees were still looking for someone to pitch some innings from the 5th spot in the rotation. So they acquired Shawn Chacon from the Rockies for Eduardo Sierra and Ramon Ramirez. Chacon was a flash in the pan, pitching well his first year with the Yankees and stabilizing the back end of the rotation along with fellow flash in the pan Aaron Small. By the next year Chacon was awful...or normal, and he was shipped to the Pirates for Craig Wilson in 2006.
- I bet most Yankee fans don't remember how desperate they were for pitching that year. Well, they signed Hideo Nomo at one point, though he never appeared in a game for them. He was a washed-up shell of his former self.
- The bullpen was still a mish-mash and the Yankees were in need of a left-handed reliever. Sound familiar? Well enter Alan Embree, formerly of the Red Sox. Exit Alan Embree after posting a 7.53 ERA in 24 appearances spanning 14.1 innings.
- Bullpen problems? What bullpen problems? The Yankees acquired Ron Villone from the Marlins in exchange for a minor leaguer. Villone was a lefty. Maybe he could get lefty hitters out. Right?
- In December, after letting tom Gordon walk via free agency, the Yankees found hard-throwing Kyle Farnsworth sitting out there, waiting to have money thrown at him. Cashman had the money and he did the throwing, inking Farnsworth to a 3 year, $18 million contract. Farnsworth was coming off a good season that he split between Detroit and Atlanta, had never shown consistent stuff but had a lively fastball and sometimes had a nasty slider. Oh, what a Jeff Nelson he could be, Cashman probably thought to himself. He resembled the second coming of Jeff Nelson more than the first and was traded in his thrid year with the team. If he had been healthy all year long Joe Torre might have blown out his arm and saved other managers the frustration of having to put Farnsworth in the game. In all seriousness he is a nice guy and is a serviceable middle reliever, just not worth the money the Yankees threw at him with the expectations that came with it. Another middle-reliever fail.
- Then, on December 15th, the Yankees signed Mike Myers. The answer to the Mike Stanton replacement question...at the moment. Myers was a lefty, was 37 years old, and, did I mention he was a lefty? Myers was going to finally be the guy to get out David Ortiz. Myers wasn't awful but he was frustrating. He would get out a righty, face Ortiz and give up a homer. Or he would give up a base-hit to the only lefty he would face, leave the game and get ready for tomorrow's lefty hitter. He wasn't consistent and was maddening every bit as much as Boone Logan is today. Maybe more so. Middle relief fail #3,906.
2006:
- The bullpen was still up in the air...as if it had ever been settled since 2000, so the Yankees signed Octavio Dotel to a contract. Dotel, like Leiber before him, was rehabbing from surgery but it was a low-risk, potential high reward deal. Dotel pitched in 14 games for the 2006 yankees, wasn't very good and was allowed to leave as a free agent. Dotel would recover fully from his surgery and be a pretty good reliever and is still pitching today at age 37.
- Some minor pitching moves took place in January and February. Ramiro Mendoza was signed to a free agent contract. Presumably to replace himself. Darrell Rasner was claimed off of waivers from the Washington Nationals. Mendoza never appeared in a game again in baseball and Rasner would be a somewhat decent fill-in starter for the Yankees over the next couple of years before taking his talents to Asia. The Yankees also signed 38 year0old Scott Erickson to a deal. That would have been awesome if this were 1990, not 2006. Erickson was done, washed up and used. He still made it into 9 games with the Yankees before Cashman realized there were better options out there.
- On July 1st, the Yankees took a chance on the recently released Brian Bruney. Bruney had an excellent fastball and had had problems controlling that pitch. He would become a pretty good bullpen guy before losing his control again and some fastball velocity. But the bullpen is the most volatile part of any teams roster and a roll of the dice with a guy like Bruney can sometimes heap huge rewards. you don't have to spend $21 million over 4 years for a reliever.
- For some reason Cashman had a short obsession with washed-up former Orioles. First it was Scott Erickson then came Sidney Ponson. Ponson somehow managed to make 3 starts and 2 relief appearances in 2006 for the Yankees. He was released just over a month later, in August. What is even crazier is that he was brought back in 2008 as we will see later.
- On August 11th, Cashman signed John Axford to a minor league deal. Axford didn't do anything special for the Yankees but has gone on to become one of the best closers in baseball. Weird how that works sometimes, huh?
- On November 10th, tired of the Gary Sheffield act, and with Bobby Abreu now in right field, the Yankees shipped Sheff to the Tigers for three minor league pitchers, Anthony Claggett, Kevin Whelan, and Humberto Sanchez. Whelan is the only one still in the Yankees organization, but all three made appearances for the Yankees. Claggett was awful. Sanchez never recovered from the arm surgery, and Whelan is a AAA closer that has trouble finding the strike zone too often. All that for Gary Sheffield!
- On November 12th, the Yankees shipped Jaret Wright who was terrible as a starter to the Orioles for reliever Chris Britton. Britton would become somewhat famous for seemingly using up all of his options in the span of seven minutes as the Yankees shuttled him back and forth between Scranton and New York in 2007.
- On December 8th, the Yankees went all redux again, this time successfully. They brought back Andy Pettitte. I don't need to say anything more about Andy.
- On December 19th, after watching the Red Sox sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Yankees dipped back into the Japanese leagues. This time they came up with Kei Igawa, and gave him a 5 year deal worth $4 million a year. He made most of his money setting AA and AAA pitching records. Good for him, I guess. Igawa will forever be the ink stain on Cashman's shirt. He appeared in 16 game, 13 starts, for the Yankees, posted an ungodly ERA of 6.66 (see what I did there?) and allowed 15 homers in 71.2 innings. Yikes! The saga of Igawa is sad. the guy wanted to pitch, he never gave up, even when the Yankees offered to end the pain. He is a free agent now, and Brian Cashman can sleep at night...sort of...when stalkers aren't ringing his doorbell I guess.
2007:
- The Yankees had let the Randy Johnson experiment go on far too long. He was miserable, fans were miserable, and Cashman was miserable. On January 9th, he was dealt to the Diamondbacks for Luis Vizcaino (he might be an answer as a middle reliever, hopefully, maybe?), minor league shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, and minor league pitchers Ross Ohlendorf and Steven Jackson. All of these guys would see time with the big club. Ohlendorf, who will pop up again later, was the best of the bunch. Vizcaino followed Octavio Dotel, Tom Gordon, Kyle Farnsworth, Felix Rodriguez, etc. out of town.
- May 6th, Susan Waldman makes hysterical noises on the radio, yelling "Roger Clemens is in Gawge Steinbrennah's bawx!" a few thousand times as the Yankees dramatically announced Roger Clemens would be coming back to join Andy Pettitte back in the Bronx. Roger was later seen bench pressing the Old Yankee Stadium which would ruin the foundation of the landmark and lead the Yankees to have to build a whole new Stadium. OK, that last part isn't true.
- Bye-bye Scott Proctor. At the trading deadline, the Yankees shipped Scott Proctor off to the Dodgers in exchange for utility guy Wilson Betemit. Scott Proctor, who somehow managed to make an appearance in every Yankee game since Billy Martin was manager, was probably very glad to get away from Joe Torre who actually held Proctor hostage in the bullpen chained to a wall and fed leftover hot dogs. OK, that's not true but it sure seemed like it. Proctor would later wonder what he did to piss God off when Torre followed him out to Los Angeles a year later.
- On December 4th, the Yankees traded one of their top pitching prospects, Tyler Clippard to the Washington Nationals for reliever Jonathan Alabadejo. Clippard had a very nive MLB debut against the Mets but Cashman got impatient. Clippard is now famous for "Clipparding" wins in Washington where he actually made the All-Star team last season. He is the vulture extraordinaire, getting wins and pitching well despite not pitching well. Wish I could do that. Either way, this was a win for the Nats. Alabadejo used the Scranton Shuttle almost as often as Chris Britton.
- On December 12th, the Yankees remembered Andy Pettitte was a free agent, unlike in 2003, and they actually re-signed him! Hooray!
- On December 21st, the Yankees thought they had themselves a new bullpen arm when they inked LaTroy Hawkins to a contract worht over $3 million per year. Hawkins was coming off of a sensational year and Cashman finally thought this was the year the pitcher coming off of a career year in the NL would translate into the AL in Pinstripes. Except the story didn't end up that way. Hawkins went from having a good year with Colorado in 2007, to being God-awful for the Yankees in 2008, to being dominant for the Astros after the Yankees traded him in June for Matt Cusick. Wow, great job.
2008:
- The Yankees had been scrap-heaping arms in AAA. They signed Billy Traber (lefty!) and Heath Phillips (lefty!) to minor league deals in January. Traber made the show and showed everyone he wasn't cut out for Major League Baseball. Phillips was replacement level at AAA.
- In February, the Yankees signed a little-known Mexican Leaguer named Alfredo Aceves to a deal. Aceves would become a kind of better version of Ramiro Mendoza, spot starting and relieving and vulturing wins. alas, he had trouble staying healthy and the Yankees didn't offer him a Major League contract after the 2010 season so he went to the Red Sox for 2011, battled injuries, and filled in nicely as a starter. Oh well.
- June 19th, 2008...Welcome back Sidney Ponson! Oh, you still are terrible. Darn.
- July 11th, wow, Eric Milton is a Yankee again! The top pitching prospect that was traded for Chuck Knoblauch signs a minor league deal. He never throws a pitch for the Yankees because of injuries. Not sure if Cashman was trying to Leiber him but it didn't work.
- Three days before the non-waiver trade deadline in July, the Yankees package Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutcheon to the Pirates in exchange for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Marte was traded to the Pirates years before if you recall and the Yankees really needed that lefty reliever. Nady was that extra bat the Yankees needed to propel them into the playoffs. Only they missed the playoffs in 2008. Shucks. Karstens is somehow still pitching in Pittsburgh. Ohlendorf is now a free agent and is still fairly young (redux?). Tabata, once a top prospect, has some age issues, is married to Martha Washington's slightly younger sister, had thought about quitting baseball in 2008, and is now a decent enough outfielder for the Pirates. The Pirates win this deal because they got players who are still playing for them. Nady is gone from the Yankees. Marte had a decent World Series run in 2009, got re-signed, and hurt himself. Or maybe he robbed a bank and ran away. Who knows? Who cares?
- July 30th saw the Yankees make two trades, the LaTroy Hawkins trade with Houston and they actually found a taker for Kyle Farnsworth, sending him to the tigers in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez. Yes, Pudge Rodriguez. Same guy, different decade.
- In December of 2008, the Yankees lost Ivan Nova in the Rule 5 Draft to the San Diego Padres. Luckily for the Yankees, they returned him. Phew!
- Having just missed the playoffs, Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner decided they were not gonna let that happen again. So the first strike in free agency was for A.J. Burnett, the very pitcher who inspired this post to begin with. Burnett had a decent year in 2009. a terrible one in 2010. And a blah, bad one in 2011. The Yankees have two years left of Burnett that they are trying to unload on someone (Pirates?) and a total of $33 million. Yikes! That contract hasn't worked out at all like the Yankees hoped. At least he wasn't Pavano or Igawa, right? Right?
- Just days after inking the inked up Burnett, Cashman landed his man, C.C. Sabathia to a monster deal. Mussina was retiring and the Yankees needed an ace. Wang was done with the Yankees, and the Yankees needed an ace. Did I mention they needed an ace? Anyway, Sabathia is Cashman's best move and his best pitching move since becoming GM. Mike Mussina's free agent contract is #2. Yay Sabathia!
2009:
- Nothing but minor pitching moves to begin the year. Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte headlined the rotation. The Yankees inked some journeymen who might be able to fill-in in a pinch like Jason Johnson, Brett Tomko, Casey Fossum, Russ Ortiz, and Josh Towers. None really contributed much. Then there was the purchase of Chad Gaudin from the Padres. He wasn't terrible in 2009 as a spot starter/long man. The Yankees lost two more middling minor league pitchers to the Pirates in Steven Jackson and Anthony Claggett. But the Yankees were set as they made their run to the World Series and a Championship. They did it one the backs of essentially three pitchers, Sabathia, Pettitte, and Burnett.
- In December, the Yankees sent Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals and instructed the Nats to select outfielder Jamie Hoffman in the Rule 5 Draft. Hoffman didn't make the Yankees and was returned to the Dodgers. Bruney has battled inconsistency and injury but the Nats got him for free.
- On December 8th, the Yankees completed a three-team trade that netted them Curtis Granderson. They gave up Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks (he won 21 games this season for them), Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Tigers. Yankee fans can't complain about the trade as Granderson was amazing last year. It is doubtful Kennedy could have been as good as he was as a Yankee. Phil Coke is a middling lefty reliever/starter who is left-handed (yes I know what I just typed).
- December 22nd was a weird day in Yankeeland. The Yankees sent young lefty Michael Dunn, Melky Cabrera, and minor league phenom Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan! Javy's back! Javy had gone on to quietly become one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball since leaving the Yanks and apparently Cashman didn't like that so he brought him back to the Bronx to ruin what remained of his life. In all seriousness, the Yankees probably shouldn't have traded Javier after one bad season and shouldn't have traded for him the second time around. Cashman loves bringing back pitchers for second looks for some reason. Well, Javier was worse this time around and Cashman had egg on his face. I mean, I don't understand what went wrong. Vazquez was, after all, coming off of a great year in the National League. I have no idea why it didn't translate.
2010:
- Sergio Mitre was re-signed. I forgot to mention when the Yankees orginally signed him in 2008. Oh well. He was originally Liebered, meaning he was injured when he signed his contract and Joe Girardi loved the guy so the Yankees thought it best to sign him, hold onto him, let him rehab and then boom! Only, the boom was supposed to be a good boom and not a bad one as Mitre ended up exploding all over the place. They are still trying to get the Mitre off the walls.
- February 28th, the Yankees signed Chan Ho Park. Park had been moderately successful in the National League before Cashman figured he would roll the dice, after all you can't fail on EVERY guy who succeeds in the NL and suddenly becomes a free agent afterward, right? Park was dreadful surrendering 7 homers in 35.1 innings. Yikes!
- May 12th, they Reduxed Tim Redding, only this time Redding never made it to the Bronx. Seriously, Cashman, what is your love affair with pitchers who weren't good enough the first time around.
-July 31st, the Yankees sent Mark Melancon and a minor leaguer to the Astros for Lance Berkman. Berkman wasn't good for the Yankees but rebounded with the Cardinals last year. Then Melancon suddenly became closer material and is now a set-up man for the Red Sox. Joy.
- In a seperate deal the Yankees acquired Kerry Wood from the Indians for two minor leaguers, one of whom was Matt Cusick. Wood was very good and helped bridge the gap to Mariano but he walked as a free agent at the end of the year. Still was a good move.
2011:
-Hello Bartolo! Bartolo Colon signed a deal with the Yankees as he attempted to make a comeback. It worked out much to everyone surprise.
- The Yankees signed Rafael Soriano, another expensive middle reliever, who had a weird first year with the Yankees. He was good and awful sometimes in the same inning. There were shades of Pavano there as well with weird injuries that were never explained. I'll give Cash a pass on him since he didn't really want him to begin with.
- Another big free agent signing was made right before the 2011 season. Pedro Feliciano, who had been abused so badly by the Mets that Cashman even criticized the MEts for his handling, was signed to a two-year deal. Feliciano's arm fell off and he will make $8 million over two years for NEVER throwing a pitch in a Yankee uniform. It's a shame too because he looked so good in those Spring Training warm-ups. This is one of the all-time worst signings by a Yankee GM.
- In February, the Yankees signed Freddy Garcia. Garcia was a bit of a gamble but it worked out and the Yankees brought him back to probably watch him come back to earth this season. Finding Freddy saved the Yanks last year, along with Bartolo.
- Luis Ayala was signed the same day as Garcia. He would have an excellent regular season as a middle reliever. He was cheap so of course he outperformed Soriano and Feliciano. See what I mean about bullpen arms? Anyway, he's an Oriole now so he might be their closer.
- On March 25th, the Yankees felt they needed an old veteran to go with all the other old vets so they signed Kevin Millwood for that just in case. They never broke the glass on him, thankfully.
- April 9th was the day the Yankees signed Carlos Silva to a contract. Another one I'm thankful never pitched in the Bronx.
- On June 16th the Yankees found Cory Wade sitting out there ready to give a good season's worth of work. Another cheap guy who outperformed the big contracts? Amazing.
- On June 29th Sergio Mitre threatened to show the world those nude photographs he has of Cashman unless Cashman traded for him and rescued him from Milwaukee. Mitre came and Yankee fans suffered.
- On July 14th, Cashman saw a lefty out there with experience in J.C. Romero. He signed Romero and stashed him in AAA. One cool thing to note, Romero has a 2011 Topps Update card of him in a Yankee uniform despite the fact that he never suited up for them. Yay airbrushes!
- Somehow, Scott Proctor escaped Joe Torre's grasp, made his way to Atlanta and Florida and then became a Yankee again and sacrificed himself for the good of getting shellacked. He would go out and try to get enough people out so that the Yankees could go home. RIP Scott Proctor.
- Just before the calendar turned to 2012, the Yankees signed Hideki Okajima, a lefty, to a minor league deal. Okajima might have three gallons left which should get him through Spring Training and earn him a spot to get shelled on the Major League roster.
2012:
- The Yankees traded top prospect Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and minor leaguer Jose Campos. No comment can be made yet.
- Three days after getting Pineda, Cashman got Hiroki Kuroda to solidify the rotation. We shall see. Remember, National League guy....north of 35 years-old. Nothing can go wrong here, right? We'll see.
- Feb. 8th, the Yankees felt like Hideki Okajima, the former Red Sox needed a friend so they brought in Manny Delcarmen, the former Red Sox to fight for a spot in the bullpen. It is doubtful he does anything special but then again, it's a minor league deal so no harm, no foul.
There it is folks. No recap needed. Judge for yourself.
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