01/24: Posada on Bernie
Posted by: Patrick
MLB.com has some quotes from Posada on the subject of Bernie. A sampling:
Posada said that he has spoken "a lot" with Williams this offseason about the 38-year-old outfielder's future. The Yankees appear to be set with four outfielders -- Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu and Melky Cabrera -- but Posada said that Williams is hungry for one more season.
"Obviously, he wants to come back, and he wants to come back for the right reasons," Posada said. "If he doesn't come back as a Yankee, it would be tough to see him in another uniform. I don't think he would even consider that."
Williams told Posada that other clubs have called with offers but that he has his heart set on the Yankees.
"Obviously, he wants to come back, and he wants to come back for the right reasons," Posada said. "If he doesn't come back as a Yankee, it would be tough to see him in another uniform. I don't think he would even consider that."
Williams told Posada that other clubs have called with offers but that he has his heart set on the Yankees.
01/24: Cano Changes Number
Posted by: Patrick
From MLB.com:
"I was happy to give up the number to a future Hall of Famer if he comes aboard," Cano said in Tuesday's edition of the New York Post. "Hopefully, he will be one of my teammates; I'll have the pleasure of playing with him." ...
"His dad's favorite player was Jackie Robinson, and he was named after Jackie Robinson," Posada said. "He wanted [No.] 42, but he couldn't have it, so he went with [No.] 24."
"His dad's favorite player was Jackie Robinson, and he was named after Jackie Robinson," Posada said. "He wanted [No.] 42, but he couldn't have it, so he went with [No.] 24."
01/24: J.B. Cox Update
Posted by: James
Maybe I was the only one who was wondering, but just in case anyone else was, Pete A. has the lowdown on why J. Brent Cox was left off the spring training roster, straight from the desk of Mark Newman.
Whew - I thought this was going to be a elbow injury or something along the Melancon lines.
Cox is not on the spring training roster because he has a broken bone in his right hand.
”(He’ll be) ready to throw a bit late,” Newman reports.
”(He’ll be) ready to throw a bit late,” Newman reports.
Whew - I thought this was going to be a elbow injury or something along the Melancon lines.
01/24: Wednesday Morning Links
Posted by: James
Over at Baseball Musings, David Pinto points out a Yankee survey being done by Caitlin A. LaGrotte of Temple University. Here's a description and the link to the survey:
Also, Andy Pettitte appears on the list of pitchers whose second half of the year in 2006 could portend good things in 2007. Here's what Patrick Sullivan (Sully) had to say:
Here is an opportunity to share your experiences at baseball games when the Yankees are playing the Red Sox.
This survey hopes to better understand the environment created in baseball stadiums when rivals are playing. The study will not ask for any personal information and will allow for better understanding of the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox. If you have attended a Yankee versus Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park please click the link below to take the survey. Thank you.
This survey hopes to better understand the environment created in baseball stadiums when rivals are playing. The study will not ask for any personal information and will allow for better understanding of the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox. If you have attended a Yankee versus Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park please click the link below to take the survey. Thank you.
Also, Andy Pettitte appears on the list of pitchers whose second half of the year in 2006 could portend good things in 2007. Here's what Patrick Sullivan (Sully) had to say:
Andy Pettitte
Post-All Star Break 2006: 93.1 IP, 2.80 ERA, 3.19 K/BB, 8.29 K/9
While teams tripped over themselves to ink the Gil Meche's and Jeff Suppan's of the world, the Yankees signed the guy that may very well have been the best pitcher in baseball over the last few months of 2006. Andy Pettitte, with little fanfare, dominated after the All Star break in 2006. While the press focuses their attention on the Bombers' neighbors to the norhteast and their signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Yanks might have made the low-cost (relatively speaking) deal of the off-season.
Post-All Star Break 2006: 93.1 IP, 2.80 ERA, 3.19 K/BB, 8.29 K/9
While teams tripped over themselves to ink the Gil Meche's and Jeff Suppan's of the world, the Yankees signed the guy that may very well have been the best pitcher in baseball over the last few months of 2006. Andy Pettitte, with little fanfare, dominated after the All Star break in 2006. While the press focuses their attention on the Bombers' neighbors to the norhteast and their signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Yanks might have made the low-cost (relatively speaking) deal of the off-season.
01/23: Projections & Prospects
Posted by: James
If you're looking for more baseball stuff in the month before spring training starts, here's a couple of stops you could make.
The always awesome Fangraphs.com has done everyone a favor and uploaded both Marcel and CHONE projections into a sortable format. You can find explanations for Marcel here and keep in mind that even the author of the original metrics says that "these forecasts are the minimum level of competence that you should expect from any forecaster". CHONE seems to be a little more detailed as you can see in the explanations here. In any case, they're both fun to take a peek at.
Update: Man, they're quick over there. Both CHONE and Marcel projections have been incorporated into each player page (ex. A-Rod).
Prospect-wise, Bryan Smith of Baseball Analysts fame, has posted his Top 75 prospects in all of baseball. From the time that I began reading his list, I've always enjoyed Bryan's work. This year, SportsIllustrated.com has invited him to post the list at their site so head on over and check it out because if you're looking for a good overview of the current world of prospects - Smith's list is a great place to start. Also, he is compiling a mailbag of the questions regarding the list for this Friday so if you have any, I'd encourage you to email him or leave them in the comments. For those wondering, Humberto Sanchez is #52, Jose Tabata is #23 and Philip Hughes is #4 (T-Clip is on the Honorable Mentions list).
Update: Here's Smith's thoughts on Hughes and the rest of the top 15, though why Homer Bailey continually gets ranked ahead of Phil befuddles me (well, not just me).
Also, Mark Healey over at GothamBaseball has posted an analysis of the Yankees' Top 10 Prospects.
Finally, Steve Goldman over at The Pinstriped Bible posted a little quiz about the forthcoming Yankees season that's worth a look over. His answers are at the bottom.
The always awesome Fangraphs.com has done everyone a favor and uploaded both Marcel and CHONE projections into a sortable format. You can find explanations for Marcel here and keep in mind that even the author of the original metrics says that "these forecasts are the minimum level of competence that you should expect from any forecaster". CHONE seems to be a little more detailed as you can see in the explanations here. In any case, they're both fun to take a peek at.
Update: Man, they're quick over there. Both CHONE and Marcel projections have been incorporated into each player page (ex. A-Rod).
Prospect-wise, Bryan Smith of Baseball Analysts fame, has posted his Top 75 prospects in all of baseball. From the time that I began reading his list, I've always enjoyed Bryan's work. This year, SportsIllustrated.com has invited him to post the list at their site so head on over and check it out because if you're looking for a good overview of the current world of prospects - Smith's list is a great place to start. Also, he is compiling a mailbag of the questions regarding the list for this Friday so if you have any, I'd encourage you to email him or leave them in the comments. For those wondering, Humberto Sanchez is #52, Jose Tabata is #23 and Philip Hughes is #4 (T-Clip is on the Honorable Mentions list).
Update: Here's Smith's thoughts on Hughes and the rest of the top 15, though why Homer Bailey continually gets ranked ahead of Phil befuddles me (well, not just me).
If Roger Clemens does not return to the Bronx in 2007, Hughes will be the hot-button issue in New York come June. By then, Hughes will be dominating AAA with every outing. The Yankees have done a fabulous job preparing Hughes for his midseason call-up, slowly increasing his workload in the minor leagues. With 146 innings last year, Hughes should be able to pitch consistently through October, by which time he might already be the Yankees' No. 2 starter. Far more impressive than Hughes' heavy sinker or jaw-dropping curveball is his understanding of pitching; he is the most intelligent phenom in recent memory. Hughes does not give in to any bat, rarely allows free trips to first base, and gets groundballs consistently from the stretch. Hughes is as good as a New York pitching prospect has been in a long time.
Also, Mark Healey over at GothamBaseball has posted an analysis of the Yankees' Top 10 Prospects.
Finally, Steve Goldman over at The Pinstriped Bible posted a little quiz about the forthcoming Yankees season that's worth a look over. His answers are at the bottom.
01/22: Michael Morrissey Interview
Posted by: James
If anyone out there hasn't already headed over to WasWatching to read this very interesting interview with author Michael Morrissey (his book The Pride and the Pressure: A Season Inside the New York Yankee Fishbowl will be released April 10th), I would strongly encourage you to do so.
Some particularly intriguing points from the interview follow:
Steve has put together a long and detailed interview and it's definitely worth the time (and from the looks of the interview, the book looks like it will be as well).
Some particularly intriguing points from the interview follow:
What I told various publishers was that my idea for "The Pride and the Pressure" came to mind during the winter after the 2005 season, when a confluence of events hammered home the uniqueness of being a Yankee. GM Brian Cashman broke down in tears at the end of the team’s season, and there was widespread speculation that he would move on. Also, manager Joe Torre was dissatisfied with the culture of the organization, and he spent a week in October debating whether to honor his contract for 2006.
...
The thing I think I want readers to take away from the book is what a unique, precious and privileged thing it is to be a Yankee - and a Yankee fan. These players understand that, and I hope it comes through vividly. I can say unequivocally the organization is filled with good men and good women who care, and that the baseball operations department - starting with Brian Cashman - is absolutely focused on winning that next world championship. They are, for the most part, dedicating every available resource to do that.
However, with the tradition and the excellence comes a trade-off, and I hope the book portrays that properly. There are no medals for finishing second. Nobody that I know of is sporting "2006 AL East champs" T-shirts around town.
...
The thing I think I want readers to take away from the book is what a unique, precious and privileged thing it is to be a Yankee - and a Yankee fan. These players understand that, and I hope it comes through vividly. I can say unequivocally the organization is filled with good men and good women who care, and that the baseball operations department - starting with Brian Cashman - is absolutely focused on winning that next world championship. They are, for the most part, dedicating every available resource to do that.
However, with the tradition and the excellence comes a trade-off, and I hope the book portrays that properly. There are no medals for finishing second. Nobody that I know of is sporting "2006 AL East champs" T-shirts around town.
Steve has put together a long and detailed interview and it's definitely worth the time (and from the looks of the interview, the book looks like it will be as well).
01/22: Numbers
Posted by: James
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a big numbers guy and in the interest of the rest of the numbers guys out there, I wanted to point out a few links of interest.
First, over at the Baseball Think factory, Dan Szymborski has posted the 2007 Zips projections for all teams, which can be then downloaded as an Excel file to play around with. If you're just interested in the Yankees, here's the page for them (note: this was before the RJ trade) and please note Johnson's projection (which I really don't agree with).
If you're more into dollars and cents, The Hardball Dollars is the place to be. I like the site because it shows team totals for current year as well as a couple years in the future. Additionally, to make the site more collaborative, the owner of the site is going to a wiki environment where everyone is free to enter information. Once the wiki is up and running (and more people learn about it), I think it will provide a lot of use for fans who are looking for a summary of where their team stands in terms of pricing their assets. Of course, if you're really only looking for the history of a particular player, Cot's Baseball Contracts is hard to beat.
First, over at the Baseball Think factory, Dan Szymborski has posted the 2007 Zips projections for all teams, which can be then downloaded as an Excel file to play around with. If you're just interested in the Yankees, here's the page for them (note: this was before the RJ trade) and please note Johnson's projection (which I really don't agree with).
If you're more into dollars and cents, The Hardball Dollars is the place to be. I like the site because it shows team totals for current year as well as a couple years in the future. Additionally, to make the site more collaborative, the owner of the site is going to a wiki environment where everyone is free to enter information. Once the wiki is up and running (and more people learn about it), I think it will provide a lot of use for fans who are looking for a summary of where their team stands in terms of pricing their assets. Of course, if you're really only looking for the history of a particular player, Cot's Baseball Contracts is hard to beat.
Posted by: Jason
According to noMaas.org and the NY Times this weekend, there is a high probability that MLB will announce an agreement that restricts the out of market "Extra Innings" package to DirecTV satellite programming.
Taking the package off of cable is offensive to me and every other out of market fan - of any team. In 2006, Extra Innings was available in 75 million homes. If this new deal takes effect, only DirecTV subscribers will be able to see 2007 Yankees games out of the NY market, i.e., about 15 million homes.
In my area, Extra Innings on cable was about $150.00 for the 2006 season.
Now I (and millions of other out of market fans) will be forced to incur:
a) The switching costs from cable to DirecTV and
b) The DirecTV Extra Innings subscription cost ($180.00 in 2006).
What will the price be in 2007 now that DirecTV has been granted a monopoly?
Thanks, Mr. Selig.
Taking the package off of cable is offensive to me and every other out of market fan - of any team. In 2006, Extra Innings was available in 75 million homes. If this new deal takes effect, only DirecTV subscribers will be able to see 2007 Yankees games out of the NY market, i.e., about 15 million homes.
In my area, Extra Innings on cable was about $150.00 for the 2006 season.
Now I (and millions of other out of market fans) will be forced to incur:
a) The switching costs from cable to DirecTV and
b) The DirecTV Extra Innings subscription cost ($180.00 in 2006).
What will the price be in 2007 now that DirecTV has been granted a monopoly?
Thanks, Mr. Selig.
Posted by: Patrick
Our next interview is with Mike Axisa of Pending Pinstripes. YanksBlog.com commenters probably know him best as Mike A.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Well, that doesn't leave much time in the day, does it? I'm lucky enough to work for a relatively small but exponentially growing engineering firm, so I spend about 10-12 hours a day at work. I'm also getting married sometime this summer, so it seems like whenever I'm not working, I'm picking out invitations, or a caterer or a... you get the point. My father-in-law gave me the golf bug not too long ago, so I try to sneak out and spend a half hour or so at the driving range a couple times a week as well. Whenever one of those things doesn't occupy my mind, something Yankee related usually does.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
Well, that doesn't leave much time in the day, does it? I'm lucky enough to work for a relatively small but exponentially growing engineering firm, so I spend about 10-12 hours a day at work. I'm also getting married sometime this summer, so it seems like whenever I'm not working, I'm picking out invitations, or a caterer or a... you get the point. My father-in-law gave me the golf bug not too long ago, so I try to sneak out and spend a half hour or so at the driving range a couple times a week as well. Whenever one of those things doesn't occupy my mind, something Yankee related usually does.
Posted by: Patrick
From the official site:
The Yankees agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Luis Vizcaino on Tuesday, avoiding salary arbitration with the right-handed relief pitcher.
