May 10 versus DET:
| PLAYER | GAME STATS |
| GIAMBI | 1-3 | 1RBI | 2B |
| CANO | 1-3 | 1R |
Thru May 10, 2008
| PLAYER | AB | H | AVG |
| GIAMBI | 93 | 17 | .183 |
| CANO | 133 | 25 | .185 |
_____________________________________________
April 30, 2008
JON LESTER, LHP
Nick Cafardo reports today that Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, who was diagnosed with cancer during the 2006 season, has arrived at the Sox spring training facilities in Fort Myers, FL.
It’s reported that he’s working out with other minor leaguers, is upbeat and healthy and is ready to resume baseball activities.
Good luck Jon and welcome back!
Congratulations to the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium. One of the worst kept secrets ever in the history of MLB was revealed as truth today at City Hall in downtown Manhattan. Old Yankee Stadium, in the last year of it’s existence, will host the 2008 MLB All-Star Game.
From the commish:
“When you think of Yankee Stadium, it is the most famous cathedral in baseball and I think the most famous stadium in the world,” said Commissioner Bud Selig, who started talking with the Yankees about hosting the event a year and a half ago. “All the things that have happened here, the great players … all the prizefights, all the political conventions, all the great football games. So we really believe this is the way to honor it — a cathedral that has meant so much to this sport for so long — by coming into New York in July of 2008.”
Even though everyone knows what Yankee stadium looks like, let’s take a look at the old and new Yankee Stadium, set to be ready for opening day in 2009.
CURRENT YANKEE STADIUM
NEW YANKEE STADIUM
I’ll be needing those two tickets now so if anyone has connections, let me know.
Here are a few players that have signed up for play with one of the five AL East teams in the past few days. And if your a pitcher, good luck to you!
Baltimore Orioles
JEREMY GUTHRIE, RHP
——————————————–
Drafted 22nd overall in the first round by the Indians in 2002, Guthrie was designated for assignment when the Indians signed OF Trot Nixon in early January 2007. His 2006 season was less than stellar as he spent most of the year moving between the big club in Cleveland and the minors. He must make the 25-man roster out of spring training or he’ll enter that nebulous waiver pool because he’s out of minor league options. If he does make the club, it’s expected that Guthrie will either be a long man out of the pen or possibly a back of the rotation starter. He’s said to have a very powerful arm and his fastball tops out at 95 m.p.h. His numbers at AAA Buffalo in ‘06 look promising where he managed he won 9 games, posted a 3.14 ERA/1.23 WHIP in 123.1 IP.
Roch Kubatko of the Baltimore Sun has much more on Guthrie at his blog.
Toronto Blue Jays
VICTOR ZAMBRANO, RHP
——————————————–
The Blue Jays are signing the 31-year-old Zambrano to a minor league deal with a club option for 2008. He’s coming off a difficult 2006 season with the Mets where he opted to have surgery on his elbow in May. Zambrano is probably most famous for being the guy that was sent to the NYM by Tampa Bay for P Scott Kazmir back in 2004. Victor has been around the block a bit as well. He was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Yankees way back in 1993. The Jays are hopeful that he’ll be ready by midseason.
Blue Jay GM J.P. Ricciardi on Zambrano:
“We’ve always liked his arm,” said general manager J.P. Ricciardi. “We like that he’s pitched in the AL East with some success. There’s still some rehab that needs to go on but we sent someone to watch him throw in Venezuela and it looks like he’s coming back.”
Let’s all give a nice, warm welcome to these guys and remind them to pitch down in the zone, especially in the AL East.
A few days ago I discovered this great new fantasy sports chat site called www.fantasysportsboard.com. Now I’m over there chatting mostly on the upcoming fantasy baseball season but they have many other chat forums such as football, basketball, hockey and even a general interest chat room. Future plans for the site include fantasy contests, pools and other games.
If this is your thing, you definitely have to click on over there, check it out and then bookmark it. And if you are fed up with lame fantasy sports boards at like ESPN, this is the place for you. Most of the posters are insightful, helpful and eager to give you advice on your fantasy teams.
So please, go check it out, find a forum that interests you, and sound off!
My favorite player and favorite Yankee growing up was Don Mattingly. I was eight years old in 1984 when I first remember watching him play.
My second favorite Yankee has to be Bernie Williams. I always loved that he wasn’t only a ballplayer, but a musician as well. His career started to take off when I entered college and he really got me excited watching the Yankees again.
Well, I’m excited all over. The Yankees have extended a spring training invitation to Bernie. Granted it’s one of those “non-guaranteed, minor league invitation” deals, but I don’t care. All Bernie has to do now is say yes.
The Yankees did the right thing. Having no roster spot left for the aging Williams, they are trying to save face on what has become a difficult situation. Bernie thinks he can still play, the Yankees need to move on and get younger. It’s an agonizing dilemma for the team, it’s fans and anyone who has enjoyed watching Bernie play for the last sixteen years.
Yes that’s right, sixteen years. Williams is only one of seven Yankees in their history to play for more than sixteen years in the pinstripes. He holds major league records in post-season play for the most home runs (22), runs scored (82) and RBI’s (80). Plus, he’s always been a class act.
What do some of his teammates think?
“It’s a tough one,” pitcher Mike Mussina said. “Most people thought Bernie wouldn’t be back last year, and he had a good year. We had some big injuries and we really needed him, and he had a solid year for us. If he comes back, he’d be an asset to the team, but that’s a decision for somebody else.”
More from catcher Jorge Posada,
“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.”
As of this afternoon, Bernie was still considering the deal.
There is plenty of news out there on the wire so lets get to it. I’m changing the format of this daily posting back to the original. I didn’t like listing the links by source.
Links please!
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Will Bernie Williams return to the Yankees? It has become one of the last burning questions of the offseason for the Bombers. One man may decide this and it’s not GM Brian Cashman or Owner George Steinbrenner. The decision may come from the Yankee skipper himself, Joe Torre.
Torre is extremely loyal to his players and a report in the North Jersey journal today confirmed that Torre believes Bernie should at least be given a shot at making the team. That would mean inviting him to spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Whatever the Yankees decide however, Williams is bracing himself for what seems to be the end:
“It’s been a great run,” Williams said Saturday at a function for Hillside Food Outreach, which provides for needy Westchester residents, adding that his body “tells me I can probably play a couple more years. As a player, you always want to do more. You’ve got the Peter Pan syndrome; you never want to grow up. But you’ve got to realize that it doesn’t last forever.”
The Yankees 40-man roster is full. Williams has worn the Yankee uniform for 16 years, only the seventh Yankee in the history of the club to do so. Where will loyalty lie this time?
The New York Yankees and the Chinese Baseball Association have reached an agreement on developing players in China. Here is the official press release:
The New York Yankees and the Chinese Baseball Association held a press conference today in Beijing, China, to announce a landmark Memorandum of Understanding that for the first time formalizes a strategic alliance between a Major League Baseball club and the Chinese Baseball Association.
The Agreement, subject to Major League Baseball’s rules, regulations and agreements pertaining to The People’s Republic of China, states that the Yankees will provide the CBA with guidance in training baseball players, which will include sending staff (coaches, player development, scouting and training personnel) to China to assist the CBA. The partnership will also allow the CBA to send staff to the Yankees’ facilities in the United States in furtherance of those goals.
The Yankees were represented by Team President Randy Levine, Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman, Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jean Afterman and Michael Tusiani, Vice President of Corporate Sales and Sponsorship. Beijing Womei Advertising Company Limited and Sportscorp China, headed by President and Managing Director Marc Ganis and Managing Director Kenneth Huang, coordinated the meetings and has been instrumental with the Yankees’ activities in China.
“The entire New York Yankees organization looks forward to a wonderful relationship with the Chinese Baseball Association,” said New York Yankees Principal Owner George Steinbrenner. “I stand firmly behind this agreement, and we will lend our full support to this partnership to ensure a successful and fruitful future together.”
“This agreement marks another milestone in baseball’s international evolution,” said Yankees President Randy Levine. “We are excited to begin work alongside our friends in the Chinese Baseball Association, and they will receive our full support throughout this exciting process. The Yankees brand is recognized around the world, and this unprecedented opportunity allows us to further integrate the Yankees’ name and our proud history of success into baseball’s global landscape.”
“It is a great honor to be a part of this unique and exciting opportunity,” said New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. “Throughout China’s history it’s easy to see their passion for sports, and their determination to excel in all athletic fields. With that belief in excellence, we are proud to begin work with the Chinese Baseball Association, and we will provide all of our available tools and resources to help develop and cultivate their baseball program from the ground up.”
The CBA was represented by Chairman Hu Jianguo, Secretary General Shen Wei and Deputy Secretary General Tian Yuan.
“This is an historic day for the Chinese Baseball Association and the sport of baseball in China,” said CBA Chairman Hu Jianguo. “Baseball is a fast-growing sport in China and throughout Asia. By partnering with the New York Yankees, the most successful and recognizable baseball team in the world, the CBA looks forward to expanding the play of this wonderful game throughout China and developing many excellent players. We also look forward to developing world-class training and practice facilities where our Chinese players can be well prepared to compete against the best in the world.”
Following the press conference, the Yankees contingent is scheduled to meet with Mr. Feng Jian Zhong, the Vice Minister State General Administration of Sports. Mr. Feng is also the Vice President of the China Olympic Committee.
And in case you missed it, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino had this juicy nugget on China:
“As a member of MLB’s International Committee, I can tell you that all of MLB is focused on China. The Yankees are not alone, and will not be alone, as they pursue development there. The Red Sox have a foreign policy as well, and Asia, including China, is a key part of that policy. We will work, hand and glove, with MLB and the Chinese government to grow baseball there. We look forward to the baseball competition in Beijing in the 2008 Olympics.â€
What a war of words between these two clubs. It’s so comical.
