Posted by: James
Joe Girardi has agreed in principle to be the manager of the Florida Marlins. He also had talks with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but it looks all but done that he will be added on as the skipper in Florida.
Honestly, I don't know how Joe went from former major league catcher (with a great triple against Greg Maddux in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series - my lasting memory of him) to a primo head-coaching candidate so quickly. If I remember correctly, he was also talked about heavily for a couple of jobs last year as well. It seems somewhat odd that Girardi has to wait practically no time before his day in the sun... but the hiring of other former Yankee coaches took a good long time in coming (ex. 11 years on the Yankee coaching staff for Willie Randolph before his shot). Regardless, Joe inherits a pretty nice situation in Florida with a solid, mostly young, team that fell just a bit short of the wildcard in a very competitive NL East. I wish him well and hope to see some good coaching battles between two well-liked former Yankee coaches.
Honestly, I don't know how Joe went from former major league catcher (with a great triple against Greg Maddux in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series - my lasting memory of him) to a primo head-coaching candidate so quickly. If I remember correctly, he was also talked about heavily for a couple of jobs last year as well. It seems somewhat odd that Girardi has to wait practically no time before his day in the sun... but the hiring of other former Yankee coaches took a good long time in coming (ex. 11 years on the Yankee coaching staff for Willie Randolph before his shot). Regardless, Joe inherits a pretty nice situation in Florida with a solid, mostly young, team that fell just a bit short of the wildcard in a very competitive NL East. I wish him well and hope to see some good coaching battles between two well-liked former Yankee coaches.
10/18: Felix on the Juice
Posted by: James
It looks like Felix Heredia is the latest MLB player to be suspended for steroids. Hey, he's not as sexy as a 500 HR hitter but hey, it's still a story. Felix didn't exactly have a stellar year in pinstripes last year but I still remember the one night he came on in relief and did the job. Yankees up by one against the Red Sox, 8th inning, bases loaded and David Ortiz at bat... and Heredia struck him right out. I was there, way up in the left field bleachers and the cheer and ovation that he got was second only to the roar that greeted Mariano when he came in to close down the game. It was probably the highest point of Heredia's Yankee career and a great night for the Yanks.
10/18: Torre to Return
Posted by: Patrick
Right off the wire:
Cool. Good to see.
Joe Torre considered resigning last week, then decided during a meeting with owner George Steinbrenner to return next season as manager of the New York Yankees. ...
"I just wanted to pretty much clear the air on everything that was part of my unhappiness or anger or whatever you want to call it, frustration. I guess you can put all those things under the same heading," Torre said.
Torre wanted to make sure Steinbrenner wanted him back.
"I had to not only hear it, but hear the tone in which it was said," he said.
"I just wanted to pretty much clear the air on everything that was part of my unhappiness or anger or whatever you want to call it, frustration. I guess you can put all those things under the same heading," Torre said.
Torre wanted to make sure Steinbrenner wanted him back.
"I had to not only hear it, but hear the tone in which it was said," he said.
Cool. Good to see.
Posted by: Patrick
We'll be interviewing the author of the Bat Boy book, Matthew McGough, here at YanksBlog.com. If you had any questions that you'd like us to ask him, please e-mail me at patrick@ifroggy.com or leave a comment.
He was around the Yankees team during the entire '92 and '93 seasons. So, if you had any questions about those on the coaching staff or on the team at that time, those would be welcome - as well as any other questions, obviously.
Thanks.
He was around the Yankees team during the entire '92 and '93 seasons. So, if you had any questions about those on the coaching staff or on the team at that time, those would be welcome - as well as any other questions, obviously.
Thanks.
10/18: Cy Young on MSN = Mo
Posted by: Patrick
Check it out.
Kind of funny. I imagine it'll go away, but for the moment... the movement is getting a boost. Jen lended her support and Pride of the Yankees mentioned the program. It's not too late to show your support.
Kind of funny. I imagine it'll go away, but for the moment... the movement is getting a boost. Jen lended her support and Pride of the Yankees mentioned the program. It's not too late to show your support.
Posted by: YB Bloggers
Patrick: In this day of all access via the internet and TV, one place that the average fan remains without access to is the locker room. We get a brief glimpse into it through various journalists and on TV when your team wins something and they’re in there showering each other with champagne. It’s an area that not many, besides coaches, players, executives and owners, receive constant and daily access to. One group of people that does get that access is the clubhouse staff. This includes bat boys. Of us Yankee fans, who wouldn’t have wanted to be a Yankees bat boy in their youth (listen to me, I’m 20 years old for pete sake – I’m still young!)? I know I would have loved it. Matthew McGough got that opportunity. For two years – the 1992 and 1993 seasons) – as well as a brief return stint for the ’98 postseason. Bat Boy is a memoir of this time and the TV show Clubhouse was based on his book with McGough serving as a producer.
10/17: Bernie for Baines?
Posted by: Patrick
Bernie – before he was great:
Wow.
Via Brian MacMillan.
Steinbrenner had seen Williams during his one off year in 1989 play a few games at Albany, and based on that insanely small sample turned off to the kid completely. Too soft for me, he spat to anyone in the organization he saw. Which is what he always thought about Andy Pettitte as well. "If only Williams had Andy Stankiewicz's (feisty) heart, then we'd really have something," was the company line. And that year, the Boss desperately wanted to trade him to the White Sox for Harold Baines – until then-GM Syd Thrift talked him out of it. ...
To this day, Thrift calls his "saving of Bernie Williams" his greatest act during his five-month tenure as Yankees GM.
Williams survived to make it to the big club in 1991, but in those first couple of seasons, playing on and off and seemingly with one eye looking over his shoulder toward the owner's box, he couldn't find his comfort zone and didn't really make his mark.
"Mostly in '91, but even in '92, I felt I had to show something every day," he said that day in '93. "It didn't affect me once I was (on the field), but it affected my preparation. I was dying inside; I just never showed it." ...
"I'll always," he said, locking onto my eyes, "have to fight to stay here."
To this day, Thrift calls his "saving of Bernie Williams" his greatest act during his five-month tenure as Yankees GM.
Williams survived to make it to the big club in 1991, but in those first couple of seasons, playing on and off and seemingly with one eye looking over his shoulder toward the owner's box, he couldn't find his comfort zone and didn't really make his mark.
"Mostly in '91, but even in '92, I felt I had to show something every day," he said that day in '93. "It didn't affect me once I was (on the field), but it affected my preparation. I was dying inside; I just never showed it." ...
"I'll always," he said, locking onto my eyes, "have to fight to stay here."
Wow.
Via Brian MacMillan.
10/17: Andy Fox Retires
Posted by: Patrick
From this article:
Via Brian MacMillan.
Ex-Marlins infielder Andy Fox has retired and taken a rookie-level managing job with the Rangers. Fox and ex-Marlins teammate Mike Mordecai, who just finished his first year managing the Jamestown Jammers, could vie for big-league spots sooner than you think.
Via Brian MacMillan.
10/17: Yanks to speak with Mazzone
Posted by: Michael
The Yankees got permission today to speak with Atlanta Braves pitching coach, Leo Mazzone.
Mazzone has one year left on his contract with the Braves. He is the clear front runner to take over for Mel Stottlemyre who said last week that he is done with the Yanks.
Mazzone has been on the the Braves staff since '90 helping them to 14 division titles.
What a h-u-g-e gain for the Yankees if they can pry him away from the Braves. Mazzone would definitely improve the Yanks rotation - and help in years to come to help rebuild the staff.
Mazzone has one year left on his contract with the Braves. He is the clear front runner to take over for Mel Stottlemyre who said last week that he is done with the Yanks.
Mazzone has been on the the Braves staff since '90 helping them to 14 division titles.
What a h-u-g-e gain for the Yankees if they can pry him away from the Braves. Mazzone would definitely improve the Yanks rotation - and help in years to come to help rebuild the staff.
10/17: MVP Comparisons
Posted by: James
Apparently, this talk about A-Rod's postseason performance will not go away that quietly. Also, it keeps getting brought up that so much more is expected from A-Rod since he is a MVP candidate and a prior MVP winner (I'm throwing out the money issue since all MVP winners tend to be amongst the most highly paid players in the game). I'm personally not going to blame one player for the series loss but seeing that argument made repeatedly got me thinking. I'd never thought of the MVP award as any sort of precursor to postseason success but hey, I could be wrong so I took a look. Here are the MVP winners in the AL for the past 5 years and how they stack up in the postseason.
