02/18: Pettitte Talks
Posted by: Patrick
Andy Pettitte spoke with the media today about a range of topics including, of course, his HGH use. You can watch the press conference and read his opening satement on MLB.com. Bryan Hoch has a summary.
Posted by: Patrick
Our next interview is with Ken Davidoff, who blogs for Newsday at Baseball Insider.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
To clarify, my job for Newsday is national baseball writer. My focus is not only the Yankees, but the Mets (I'm in Mets camp at the moment) and the rest of Major League Baseball. When I'm not working, I'm almost certainly spending time with my wife and son.
How long have you been blogging about the Yankees?
My blog - and again, it's about all of baseball, not just the Yankees - has been in existence since April 16, 2007.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
To clarify, my job for Newsday is national baseball writer. My focus is not only the Yankees, but the Mets (I'm in Mets camp at the moment) and the rest of Major League Baseball. When I'm not working, I'm almost certainly spending time with my wife and son.
How long have you been blogging about the Yankees?
My blog - and again, it's about all of baseball, not just the Yankees - has been in existence since April 16, 2007.
02/17: Pedro Helps Edwar?
Posted by: Patrick
Pedro Martinez helped Edwar Ramirez this offseason when both of them worked out in the Dominican Republic.
... Martinez took special interest in Ramirez after seeing him experience mixed results after his big league debut in July, even teaching him his own version of the cutter and tweaking his slider.
"He said that I have a very, very good changeup, and that he doesn't see too many changeups like that," Ramirez said. "But I have to throw my other pitches, because everybody knows that I have that changeup."
"He said that I have a very, very good changeup, and that he doesn't see too many changeups like that," Ramirez said. "But I have to throw my other pitches, because everybody knows that I have that changeup."
Posted by: Patrick
Bryan Hoch reports that Andy Pettitte will address the media at 3:00 PM ET on Monday.
Posted by: Patrick
This morning, I read (via Steve) of some of Joe Girardi's rules for spring training. One of them caught my eye. It was:
This seemed kind of odd as the Yankees team facial hair policy (which I am personally a fan of), clean cut mustaches only, has been a long standing and, perhaps, infamous rule of the Steinbrenner era. So, I contacted the always helpful Peter Abraham to ask if he could verify it's accuracy. He told me that it was incorrect. According to him, the policy remains: mustaches only.
5. Only neatly cut beards, mustaches, goatees. No long hair or "unshaven looks."
This seemed kind of odd as the Yankees team facial hair policy (which I am personally a fan of), clean cut mustaches only, has been a long standing and, perhaps, infamous rule of the Steinbrenner era. So, I contacted the always helpful Peter Abraham to ask if he could verify it's accuracy. He told me that it was incorrect. According to him, the policy remains: mustaches only.
Posted by: Patrick
Kat O'Brien tells of Joba's joking around with Mike Mussina. She says:
Great quote. She also mentions that Moose has accepted the role of mentor to the young Yankee starters. His locker was already right next to Ian Kennedy's and, seeing as how he'll be talking about pitching with Ian, he asked for Phil's locker to be moved to the other side of him. By the next day, it was done.
"If I’m going to sit there and talk to Kennedy about pitching, it makes sense to have Hughes there, too," Mussina said, according to Mark Feinsand. Cool move by Moose.
Mussina gets his fair share of criticism at this stage of his career, but with all of the free agent busts that we've had in the last 10 years or so, I've always felt that he was one of the good ones. Sure, he may come off as a bit of a complainer at times, but he's come up in some huge spots (see: 2003 ALCS, game 7) and should make for a great mentor.
If Phil, Ian or Joba have the career that Mussina's had, they'll have done very, very well for themselves.
Via Andrew Fletcher.
As Mussina walked out of the clubhouse, Chamberlain said something with no response from Mussina, then called out: "The hearing's the first thing to go when you get old, right?" Mussina popped back around the corner to say: "I hear everything you say. I hear everything you think."
Great quote. She also mentions that Moose has accepted the role of mentor to the young Yankee starters. His locker was already right next to Ian Kennedy's and, seeing as how he'll be talking about pitching with Ian, he asked for Phil's locker to be moved to the other side of him. By the next day, it was done.
"If I’m going to sit there and talk to Kennedy about pitching, it makes sense to have Hughes there, too," Mussina said, according to Mark Feinsand. Cool move by Moose.
Mussina gets his fair share of criticism at this stage of his career, but with all of the free agent busts that we've had in the last 10 years or so, I've always felt that he was one of the good ones. Sure, he may come off as a bit of a complainer at times, but he's come up in some huge spots (see: 2003 ALCS, game 7) and should make for a great mentor.
If Phil, Ian or Joba have the career that Mussina's had, they'll have done very, very well for themselves.
Via Andrew Fletcher.
Posted by: Patrick
Bryan Hoch reports that the Yankees won their arbitration case with Chien-Ming Wang, meaning that he will earn $4 million dollars this year, as opposed to the $4.6 million that he was requesting.
Posted by: Patrick
It was expected, but now it's official: the Yankees will rename Legends Field to George M. Steinbrenner Field.
"Speaking on behalf of the entire family, we couldn't be more pleased about the fact that Legends Field will now become George M. Steinbrenner Field," Hank and Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "We have been residents of Tampa for over 30 years, and we feel this is a terrific way to honor our father's longstanding philanthropic commitment to Tampa. Our father has always made clear how much he values Tampa's role in playing host to the New York Yankees' spring-training and the Tampa Yankees. The outpouring of community support for this name change has been wonderful to watch, and we're very grateful for the acknowledgement of his achievements and contributions it represents."
Mr. Steinbrenner weighed it, as well. "I am humbled and flattered to have this outstanding and totally unexpected honor conferred on me. I extend my thanks to the Tampa City Council and to the Hillsborough County Commissioners for passing resolutions suggesting and recommending the change," he said. "I also thank my family for supporting the renaming of the stadium and for everything they have done for so many years that helped bring about this great day."
Via ESPN.
"Speaking on behalf of the entire family, we couldn't be more pleased about the fact that Legends Field will now become George M. Steinbrenner Field," Hank and Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "We have been residents of Tampa for over 30 years, and we feel this is a terrific way to honor our father's longstanding philanthropic commitment to Tampa. Our father has always made clear how much he values Tampa's role in playing host to the New York Yankees' spring-training and the Tampa Yankees. The outpouring of community support for this name change has been wonderful to watch, and we're very grateful for the acknowledgement of his achievements and contributions it represents."
Mr. Steinbrenner weighed it, as well. "I am humbled and flattered to have this outstanding and totally unexpected honor conferred on me. I extend my thanks to the Tampa City Council and to the Hillsborough County Commissioners for passing resolutions suggesting and recommending the change," he said. "I also thank my family for supporting the renaming of the stadium and for everything they have done for so many years that helped bring about this great day."
Via ESPN.
Posted by: Patrick
During yesterday's testimony by Brian McNamee, he said that, in 2000, David Cone sought him out at the back of the team plane, to ask for some advice.
Cone, McNamee alledges, told him that the owners didn't want tougher testing, but that they needed an excuse that they could go to the media with. He said that Cone wanted to see if McNamee could help come up with that excuse, but he was unable to.
Cone says that that never happened.
Cone, McNamee alledges, told him that the owners didn't want tougher testing, but that they needed an excuse that they could go to the media with. He said that Cone wanted to see if McNamee could help come up with that excuse, but he was unable to.
Cone says that that never happened.
"I never said the owners didn't want to talk about drug testing. I would never say that," Cone said. "It wasn't my opinion that owners didn't want to drug test. And I would never discuss union issues with someone not in the union. And he was not in the union."
Posted by: Patrick
So says Shelley Duncan on his own condition. Great way to put it.
