Posted by: Patrick
From the New York Daily News:
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is back at work after being hospitalized Sunday when he became ill while watching his granddaughter perform in a play, his spokesman said.
Posted by: Patrick
Posted by: Patrick
From MLB.com:
Good luck. For background on the award, check out the article linked above.
There is also a prestigious award, known as The Hutch, given to an active MLB player who most embodies the spirit and desire shown by Hutchinson. The 10 finalists for the 2006 honor were announced this weekend, and the list includes Cincinnati's Ken Griffey, Jr., Arizona's Orlando Hudson, the Yankees' Derek Jeter, Boston's Mark Loretta, St. Louis' Albert Pujols, Minnesota's Brad Radke, Baltimore's Brian Roberts, the White Sox's Jim Thome, Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Oakland's Barry Zito.
Good luck. For background on the award, check out the article linked above.
Posted by: Patrick
From Yahoo! Sports:
He was a Yankee for part of 1985, having been traded on September 15 to the Yankees in exchange for Jim Deshaies, Neder Horta and Dody Rather. He pitched 3 games that year, going 2-1 with a 5.84 ERA. He was granted free agency, but we brought him back with a new contract. In 1986, his only full year for the Yankees, he pitched 25 games, going 9-10 with a 4.87 ERA. In 1987, he pitched only 9 games for New York (going 3-4 with a 3.55 ERA) before being dealt to the Twins for Mark Salas.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
Former major league pitcher Joe Niekro, Houston's career victory leader, died Friday, Astros president Tal Smith said. He was 61.
The two-time 20-game winner suffered a brain aneurysm Thursday and was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital in nearby Plant City, where he lived. He later was transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died.
The two-time 20-game winner suffered a brain aneurysm Thursday and was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital in nearby Plant City, where he lived. He later was transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died.
He was a Yankee for part of 1985, having been traded on September 15 to the Yankees in exchange for Jim Deshaies, Neder Horta and Dody Rather. He pitched 3 games that year, going 2-1 with a 5.84 ERA. He was granted free agency, but we brought him back with a new contract. In 1986, his only full year for the Yankees, he pitched 25 games, going 9-10 with a 4.87 ERA. In 1987, he pitched only 9 games for New York (going 3-4 with a 3.55 ERA) before being dealt to the Twins for Mark Salas.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
Posted by: Patrick
From Bill Madden:
You knew somebody was going to be the fall guy for the Yankees' collapse against the Tigers in the division series and if it wasn't going to be Joe Torre, then it was surely going to be one of his coaches. And so it is Lee Mazzilli, a victim of circumstances, who takes the hit as the Yankee high command moves manager-in-waiting Don Mattingly into the bench coach position, in which he can concentrate on game strategy instead of tutoring hitters. ...
As for the hitting coach, Cashman will stay within the organization, promoting Kevin Long, who has tutored the Triple-A hitters at Columbus for the last three years. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Long played six years in the Kansas City Royals' system and was the batting coach for their Double-A Wichita farm team in 2000-01.
As for the hitting coach, Cashman will stay within the organization, promoting Kevin Long, who has tutored the Triple-A hitters at Columbus for the last three years. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Long played six years in the Kansas City Royals' system and was the batting coach for their Double-A Wichita farm team in 2000-01.
Posted by: Patrick
No shock. Sheff's not happy:
Here's the thing: if Sheffield produces, won't he make more than if he was an FA now? He's slated to make $13 million this year. He's not going to get that as an FA. Not in a year where he was injured for so long.
If he gets paid $13 million this year and goes to a new team and produces, he'll have better standing, allowing him to get a better deal as a free agent next year. The only way he makes more if he becomes an FA this year is probably if he stinks it up for the next 3 years because he'll already have a 3 year deal and they'll have to pay him, unless there is some clause included in the deal. So, if I were him, I'd just take my $13 million this year. But, that's me.
"I don't know what (the Yankees are) going to do," Sheffield told USA Today in a story posted on the paper's Web site late last night. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just (go) to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem. A big problem. I will not do this."
Here's the thing: if Sheffield produces, won't he make more than if he was an FA now? He's slated to make $13 million this year. He's not going to get that as an FA. Not in a year where he was injured for so long.
If he gets paid $13 million this year and goes to a new team and produces, he'll have better standing, allowing him to get a better deal as a free agent next year. The only way he makes more if he becomes an FA this year is probably if he stinks it up for the next 3 years because he'll already have a 3 year deal and they'll have to pay him, unless there is some clause included in the deal. So, if I were him, I'd just take my $13 million this year. But, that's me.
Posted by: James
Along with Ryan Howard from the NL, Derek Jeter won the 2006 Hank Aaron Award.
The award is supposed to recognize the best offensive performer from each league so the MVP might soon follow this trophy onto Jeter's mantle and I would strongly suggest reading the linked article, especially the exchange between Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter.
There were two phases of fan balloting at MLB.com toward the end of the regular season. In the first phase, fans voted on a ballot that included one representative from each of the 30 clubs, as chosen by Major League Baseball. The fans' vote decided which six players in each league would move on to the final vote. Fans then were asked to choose one player per league from those six.
...
Jeter received 37 percent (29,275 votes) of the AL votes on a ballot that included Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, Travis Hafner of the Indians, Paul Konerko of the White Sox and Justin Morneau of the Twins.
...
(Said by Aaron to Jeter) "Seriously, I think this award means much more than just presenting an award to two great players. I think that you, more than anybody, have realized that what you do on the field means little of nothing to what you do off the field. And you have carried yourself that way."
...
Jeter received 37 percent (29,275 votes) of the AL votes on a ballot that included Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, Travis Hafner of the Indians, Paul Konerko of the White Sox and Justin Morneau of the Twins.
...
(Said by Aaron to Jeter) "Seriously, I think this award means much more than just presenting an award to two great players. I think that you, more than anybody, have realized that what you do on the field means little of nothing to what you do off the field. And you have carried yourself that way."
The award is supposed to recognize the best offensive performer from each league so the MVP might soon follow this trophy onto Jeter's mantle and I would strongly suggest reading the linked article, especially the exchange between Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter.
10/25: Girardi on TV?
Posted by: Patrick
Newsday is reporting:
The article says that YES is one of his options.
Via Jim Baumbach.
Joe Girardi has decided to stay off the field for a year and spend next season as a broadcaster, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday today.
The article says that YES is one of his options.
Via Jim Baumbach.
10/25: CBA Update
Posted by: James
ESPN just posted an article (an AP story actually) that is the best breakdown of the new collective bargaining agreement that I've stumbled upon so far. It seems that draft pick compensation hasn't totally been done away with:
Now, this still doesn't answer the question of whether teams would now revert back to "first-time offenders". This would only affect the Yankees but it's a noticeable effect. Rather than paying a $1.40 for every dollar spent over $148 million, they would pay $1.23. If next year's payroll was the same as this year, you're talking about a little over $8 million bucks that would stay in the Yankees' coffers. (Though between Moose, 19M, and Sheffield, 13M, there's going to be some dropoff next year.)
Update: According to Peter A., the Yankees will remain at the 40% level as a repeat offender. They will be the only team over the salary cap.
As an added note to you minors watchers out there, the new CBA also states that players in the minors now have four full years before they have to be added to the 40-man roster or exposed to the Rule 5 draft. It used to be three years. That's helpful for all the Yankees prospects at the lower levels.
Draft-pick compensation for losing Type C free agents is eliminated. Compensation for Type B free agents is changed from direct (losing draft picks) to indirect (sandwich picks). Starting in 2007, Type A free agent redefined to top 20 percent at position (from top 30 percent) and Type B to 21-40 percent (from top 31-50 percent).
...
Thresholds for luxury tax on team payrolls set at $148 million for 2007, $155 million for 2008, $162 million in 2009, $170 million in 2010 and $178 million in 2011. Tax rates on amount over threshold remain at 22.5 percent for first time over threshold, 30 percent for second time over threshold, 40 percent for third or subsequent time over threshold.
...
Thresholds for luxury tax on team payrolls set at $148 million for 2007, $155 million for 2008, $162 million in 2009, $170 million in 2010 and $178 million in 2011. Tax rates on amount over threshold remain at 22.5 percent for first time over threshold, 30 percent for second time over threshold, 40 percent for third or subsequent time over threshold.
Now, this still doesn't answer the question of whether teams would now revert back to "first-time offenders". This would only affect the Yankees but it's a noticeable effect. Rather than paying a $1.40 for every dollar spent over $148 million, they would pay $1.23. If next year's payroll was the same as this year, you're talking about a little over $8 million bucks that would stay in the Yankees' coffers. (Though between Moose, 19M, and Sheffield, 13M, there's going to be some dropoff next year.)
Update: According to Peter A., the Yankees will remain at the 40% level as a repeat offender. They will be the only team over the salary cap.
As an added note to you minors watchers out there, the new CBA also states that players in the minors now have four full years before they have to be added to the 40-man roster or exposed to the Rule 5 draft. It used to be three years. That's helpful for all the Yankees prospects at the lower levels.
Posted by: Patrick
From the New York Daily News:
Of course, reports like this can only hurt our chances of getting anything decent for him, if Sheffield's response is to say he won't play for the team he's dealt to. But, maybe they are already taking that into account.
The biggest buzz among the few general managers attending the World Series is the silent auction the Yankees have apparently already begun for Gary Sheffield. It turns out that Yankee GM Brian Cashman had always intended to pick up Sheffield's $13 million option for next year - but not for the purposes of keeping him. Once the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu from the Phillies at last July's trading deadline, it was clear Sheffield no longer fit in their plans, but by picking up his option, they can now get something for him. And it could be a nice return as at least a half-dozen teams - the Angels, Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Astros and Rangers - are in the market for a power-hitting corner outfielder, and that doesn't include the Red Sox and Mets. The Yankees can now prevent Sheffield going to such rivals, not a possibility had they let him flee.
Of course, reports like this can only hurt our chances of getting anything decent for him, if Sheffield's response is to say he won't play for the team he's dealt to. But, maybe they are already taking that into account.
