The Yankees are attempting to repeat as AL East Champions in 2011. Having said that, the Yankees have made very little changes in the off-season, leaving most of their roster from last season intact. One area with a new player in place, however, is DH.
1. Raul Ibanez: Ibanez was signed late in the off-season to add another left-handed bat to their lineup and to fill what some viewed as a hole at the DH spot. He had a good season last year in Philadelphia, hitting 20 homers. Ibanez has never been a good outfielder and should have probably played first base throughout his career, but that probably is now a moot point as he will be playing for the Yankees as a DH. The Bombers are hoping that Ibanez will be able to provide another 20-homer season this year, though he could be in for a sharp decline as he'll be turning 40 this year.
2. Andruw Jones: Jones was re-signed in the off-season to either return as the team's fourth outfielder or to be the starting DH. With the signing of Ibanez late in the off-season, Jones will now return to the team as a fourth outfielder. The Yankees expect him to play good defense and reach double-digit totals in homers again, and he may get a lot of platoon-like playing time in both left field and at DH.
3. Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod is under contract as the team's third baseman for the foreseeable future, but he's not getting any younger, IF Eduardo Nunez is waiting in the wings, and their may be available playing time at DH. A-Rod had a lost season last year due to injury, batting .276 with only 16 homers, 62 runs batted in, and four stolen bases in 373 at-bats. So far, the team has stated that they want A-Rod to potentially get as many as 50 starts at DH. A-Rod says that he wants to play third base, but he hasn't opposed the move either. The Yankees are hoping that with less-fielding time A-Rod can stay healthy and return to his 2010 form.
4. Derek Jeter: Jeter is under contract as the team's shortstop for the foreseeable future, but he's not getting any younger, Nunez is waiting in the wings, and there may be available playing time at DH. Like A-Rod, the team has publicly stated that they want Jeter to get as many as 50 starts at DH, but Jeter has told manager Joe Girardi flat-out that he's "Derek Jeter and Derek Jeter doesn't play DH." Jeter had a decent but unproductive season last year, batting .297 but producing mediocre numbers beyond that, with his already-poor defense getting worse and worse with age. The Yankees are hoping that he has another decent season this year and won't embarrass himself too much in the field.
5. Mark Teixeira: Teixeira is under contract as the team's first baseman for the forseeable future, but he's not getting any younger and there may be playing time available at DH. Teixeira had an outstanding season last year, hitting 39 homers and driving in 111 runs while playing outstanding defense at first. The Yankees were planning to get Teixeira a small amount of playing time at DH this season just to give him a rest every once in awhile, but with the signing of Ibanez and the logjam created by the injury problems with A-Rod and fielding problems with Jeter, that time now seems to be diminished. The Yankees are hoping that Teixeira has another outstanding season next year.
The Yankees look pretty good at DH. Ibanez isn't the player he once was, but he should provide some left-handed pop in their lineup. Jones will provide a good right-handed complement to Ibanez against lefty pitching. A-Rod, Jeter, and Teixeira will all benefit from occasional playing time at DH.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Red Sox DH
The Red Sox are attempting to recover from a disastrous collapse in 2011. They have opted to employ the band-aid method, leaving the areas that were successful untouched and attempting to patch up the areas that didn't work. One area with a returning player in place is at the DH position.
1. David Ortiz: It's pretty much a one man show at DH in Boston, but it's not a show that many people can complain about, including Ortiz, who accepted arbitration from the team in order to guarantee his return to them in 2012. He had a good season last year, hitting .309 with 29 homers. Ortiz isn't getting any younger, but his production shouldn't take a sharp decline this season, and the Red Sox are hoping for another 20-homer season out of their big lefty.
The Red Sox appear to be okay at DH. Ortiz isn't the player he once was, but he should still be able to supply some punch from the left side of the plate in their lineup.
1. David Ortiz: It's pretty much a one man show at DH in Boston, but it's not a show that many people can complain about, including Ortiz, who accepted arbitration from the team in order to guarantee his return to them in 2012. He had a good season last year, hitting .309 with 29 homers. Ortiz isn't getting any younger, but his production shouldn't take a sharp decline this season, and the Red Sox are hoping for another 20-homer season out of their big lefty.
The Red Sox appear to be okay at DH. Ortiz isn't the player he once was, but he should still be able to supply some punch from the left side of the plate in their lineup.
Whatever Happened to...? A Laker Alumni Update
Whatever happened to Neil Musselwhite?
Neil Musselwhite was a forward born on November 13, 1985 in Burlington, Ontario. He was five feet, ten inches tall and weighed 177 pounds. He shot left-handed.
Musselwhite was a promising amateur player in high school who was extremely fast on skates but went undrafted due to his small size. He decided to play juniors and signed a two-year contract with his hometown Burlington Cougars of the OPJHL in 2002.
In his first year with Burlington he played in four games and tallied two points. In his second year in Burlington he played in 22 games and tallied 19 points before being traded to the Hamilton Red Wings, where he played in 24 games and tallied an additional 14 points. He signed another two-year contract with Hamilton at the end of that season and returned with them in 2004, where he played in 48 games and tallied an amazing 52 points. In his last year in juniors he played in 27 games for Hamilton and tallied 26 points.
He again went undrafted out of juniors and was unable to get much attention from Division I colleges with scouts at both the pro and college level complaining of his small size, in spite of his outstanding speed. Eventually, though, Musselwhite accepted an offer from head coach Ed Gosek to play for the Division II/III Oswego State Lakers.
He first came to the Lakers in 2006, where he played in 28 games and tallied 14 points in helping lead the team to a National Championship at the 2007 Division III Frozen Four in Superior, Wisconsin. In his sophomore year with Oswego State he played in 26 games and tallied 14 points. In his junior year in Lakerland Musselwhite played in 25 games and tallied 12 points. In his senior year Musselwhite was named an assistant captain on the team, played in 29 games and tallied an amazing 36 points. In addition, Musselwhite was selected to play in the Division I Frozen Four Skills Competition in Detroit, Michigan, the only Division II/III player selected to participate in the Competition. While there he came in second place in the hardest shot competition and came in first place in the fastest skater competition, setting a new NCAA record and finally getting the recognition he so rightfully deserved from scouts.
But that still wasn't enough. Musselwhite again went undrafted out of college and was unable to gain a contract from a professional hockey team in the U. S., due again to complaints from scouts about his small size. Luckily, he was able to gain a spot on a hockey team in the Developmental League in Germany. Many Lakers fans were befuddled that the fastest player in the history of the NCAA at any level would end up playing in the Minor League in Germany, but were hopeful that his career would advance thereafter. And their hopes were rewarded when he signed a contract with the independent Fort Wayne Komets of the CHL early in the 2010 season.
With the Komets he played in 26 games and tallied 12 points before he was signed to a contract by the Florida Panthers and was assigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. After his acquisition by Florida/Cincinnati, Musselwhite played in an additional 20 games without recording a point.
He was cut by the Panthers at the end of the season and retired, noting that he probably wouldn't be able to go straight into another NHL contract and didn't want to return to the small arenas of independent Minor League hockey. He now lives in Burlington, Ontario and works as a color commentator for the Cougars.
Neil Musselwhite was a forward born on November 13, 1985 in Burlington, Ontario. He was five feet, ten inches tall and weighed 177 pounds. He shot left-handed.
Musselwhite was a promising amateur player in high school who was extremely fast on skates but went undrafted due to his small size. He decided to play juniors and signed a two-year contract with his hometown Burlington Cougars of the OPJHL in 2002.
In his first year with Burlington he played in four games and tallied two points. In his second year in Burlington he played in 22 games and tallied 19 points before being traded to the Hamilton Red Wings, where he played in 24 games and tallied an additional 14 points. He signed another two-year contract with Hamilton at the end of that season and returned with them in 2004, where he played in 48 games and tallied an amazing 52 points. In his last year in juniors he played in 27 games for Hamilton and tallied 26 points.
He again went undrafted out of juniors and was unable to get much attention from Division I colleges with scouts at both the pro and college level complaining of his small size, in spite of his outstanding speed. Eventually, though, Musselwhite accepted an offer from head coach Ed Gosek to play for the Division II/III Oswego State Lakers.
He first came to the Lakers in 2006, where he played in 28 games and tallied 14 points in helping lead the team to a National Championship at the 2007 Division III Frozen Four in Superior, Wisconsin. In his sophomore year with Oswego State he played in 26 games and tallied 14 points. In his junior year in Lakerland Musselwhite played in 25 games and tallied 12 points. In his senior year Musselwhite was named an assistant captain on the team, played in 29 games and tallied an amazing 36 points. In addition, Musselwhite was selected to play in the Division I Frozen Four Skills Competition in Detroit, Michigan, the only Division II/III player selected to participate in the Competition. While there he came in second place in the hardest shot competition and came in first place in the fastest skater competition, setting a new NCAA record and finally getting the recognition he so rightfully deserved from scouts.
But that still wasn't enough. Musselwhite again went undrafted out of college and was unable to gain a contract from a professional hockey team in the U. S., due again to complaints from scouts about his small size. Luckily, he was able to gain a spot on a hockey team in the Developmental League in Germany. Many Lakers fans were befuddled that the fastest player in the history of the NCAA at any level would end up playing in the Minor League in Germany, but were hopeful that his career would advance thereafter. And their hopes were rewarded when he signed a contract with the independent Fort Wayne Komets of the CHL early in the 2010 season.
With the Komets he played in 26 games and tallied 12 points before he was signed to a contract by the Florida Panthers and was assigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. After his acquisition by Florida/Cincinnati, Musselwhite played in an additional 20 games without recording a point.
He was cut by the Panthers at the end of the season and retired, noting that he probably wouldn't be able to go straight into another NHL contract and didn't want to return to the small arenas of independent Minor League hockey. He now lives in Burlington, Ontario and works as a color commentator for the Cougars.
Wilpon, Picard Settle Lawsuit
Fred Wilpon et. al and Irving Picard have agreed to settle rather than go to trial over the business of liquidating the assets of former financier Bernard Madoff. The Wilpons will have to pay $162 million into the fund for the victims of Madoff's ponzi scheme, including the $83 million that the Federal Judge presiding over the case had already ordered them to pay, meaning that they will pay an additional $79 million into the fund. The process began in 2010 and was mediated by former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.
In addition, as victims of the ponzi scheme themselves, the Mets will have the opportunity to collect some, most, or all of the $162 million they have paid into the fund when the stolen money is redistributed to the victims. Jury selection for the trial was to have taken place today. The settlement also concedes that Mets owner Fred Wilpon and Mets President Saul Katz were not "willfully blind" when investing with Madoff.
Fred Wilpon is simply happy to be able to focus on his multiple businesses again, including the New York Mets. Saul Katz is simply happy to be moving past the "negative energy" brought about by the lawsuit. The $162 million is based upon withdrawal of profits by Wilpon and Katz from Madoff's ponzi scheme from 2002 to 2008, which is concurrent with the timeline Picard is using to recover funds from other investors.
Picard and his attorneys have stated that they and the Wilpons will be partners going forward, as they will view the real estate moguls as victims hereafter. Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies in 2009. Thus far, Picard has recovered $9 billion of the estimated $60 billion stolen by Madoff.
Picard had originally sued the Wilpons for $1 billion, but that total was knocked down to $386 million before a judge ordered the Wilpons to pay $83 million into the fund and a trial date was set, knocking the total amount of money remaining in the lawsuit to $303 million before the two sides agreed to settle with the Wilpons paying an additional $79 million into the fund. Notable witnesses in the trial included former LHP Sandky Koufax - testifying as a witness for the defense as a fellow victim of the ponzi scheme - and a host of current and former employees of Sterling Equities who were testifying for the prosecution on grounds that they allegedly told the Wilpons that Madoff's returns at greater than 12 percent in a recession were "too good to be true."
In addition, as victims of the ponzi scheme themselves, the Mets will have the opportunity to collect some, most, or all of the $162 million they have paid into the fund when the stolen money is redistributed to the victims. Jury selection for the trial was to have taken place today. The settlement also concedes that Mets owner Fred Wilpon and Mets President Saul Katz were not "willfully blind" when investing with Madoff.
Fred Wilpon is simply happy to be able to focus on his multiple businesses again, including the New York Mets. Saul Katz is simply happy to be moving past the "negative energy" brought about by the lawsuit. The $162 million is based upon withdrawal of profits by Wilpon and Katz from Madoff's ponzi scheme from 2002 to 2008, which is concurrent with the timeline Picard is using to recover funds from other investors.
Picard and his attorneys have stated that they and the Wilpons will be partners going forward, as they will view the real estate moguls as victims hereafter. Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies in 2009. Thus far, Picard has recovered $9 billion of the estimated $60 billion stolen by Madoff.
Picard had originally sued the Wilpons for $1 billion, but that total was knocked down to $386 million before a judge ordered the Wilpons to pay $83 million into the fund and a trial date was set, knocking the total amount of money remaining in the lawsuit to $303 million before the two sides agreed to settle with the Wilpons paying an additional $79 million into the fund. Notable witnesses in the trial included former LHP Sandky Koufax - testifying as a witness for the defense as a fellow victim of the ponzi scheme - and a host of current and former employees of Sterling Equities who were testifying for the prosecution on grounds that they allegedly told the Wilpons that Madoff's returns at greater than 12 percent in a recession were "too good to be true."
First Waves of Spring Training cuts come In
The first waves of Spring Training cuts have come in for Boston, the Mets, and the Yankees. The Red Sox made their first cuts on Thursday when they optioned 3B Will Middlebrooks and CF Che-Hsuan Lin to Pawtucket and LHP Drake Britton and 2B Oscar Tejeda to Portland. They made their second wave of cuts on Friday when they released RHP Carlos Silva. The team made its third wave of cuts on Saturday when they optioned RHP Stolmy Pimentel to Portland.
The first wave of cuts came on Thursday for the Mets when they optioned LHP Robert Carson, RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Jenrry Mejia, 2B Reese Havens, 3B Zach Lutz, and CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Buffalo and RHP Armando Rodriguez, SS Wilmer Flores, and LF Juan Lagares to Binghamton. The second wave of cuts came for the Mets yesterday when they optioned RHP Jeremy Hefner to Buffalo and RF Cesar Puello to Binghamton.
The Yankees made their first cuts of the Spring on Friday when they optioned 2B Corban Joseph and CF Melky Mesa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and 2B David Adams and CF Zoilo Almonte to Trenton.
The first wave of cuts came on Thursday for the Mets when they optioned LHP Robert Carson, RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Jenrry Mejia, 2B Reese Havens, 3B Zach Lutz, and CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Buffalo and RHP Armando Rodriguez, SS Wilmer Flores, and LF Juan Lagares to Binghamton. The second wave of cuts came for the Mets yesterday when they optioned RHP Jeremy Hefner to Buffalo and RF Cesar Puello to Binghamton.
The Yankees made their first cuts of the Spring on Friday when they optioned 2B Corban Joseph and CF Melky Mesa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and 2B David Adams and CF Zoilo Almonte to Trenton.
Pettitte ends Retirement, at Least for a Couple of Weeks
It probably started when former LHP Andy Pettitte approached current Yankees LHP C. C. Sabathia earlier this Spring and told him he was thinking about trying to play again. Sabathia told him to tryout. After all, he was only six pounds over his normal playing weight and he looked like he could still play when he was working as a special Spring Training coach with the team.
When C Russell Martin heard about the possibility of Pettitte pitching again he described the scenario as "awesome." It certainly wouldn't have been unprecedented. Mike Donlin is believed to be the first baseball player to come out of retirement, and he first retired in 1908. He came out of retirement in 1911 after spending a couple of years as a vaudeville star in Hollywood and a marriage to a starlet.
Pettitte's retirement from baseball was far less dramatic than Donlin's. For that matter, his retirement has been far-less dramatic than Ryne Sandberg's, who retired in 1994 after being named to ten All-Star teams. And his return has been far-less dramatic then other sports figures like NBA player Michael Jordan, who retired from basketball three times, and came back twice (once after pursuing a professional baseball career and once with the Wizards after he bought the team).
Instead, Pettitte's retirement and return is more similar to that of Dave Stieb, a star pitcher in the 1980s who was released in 1992 by Toronto and retired after making four starts with the White Sox in 1993. But he returned to the Blue Jays in 1998 and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen and made three starts. Pettitte's return in no way mirrors the dramatic return of Johnny King, who walked away from the game after winning the World Series with the Cubs in 1908 and became a professional pool player (winning the World's Pool Championship in 1909), but returned to the Cubs in 1910.
Oh by the way, King's billiard tables are now amongst the most valuable in the world. And of course, Pettitte's retirement is far-less dramatic than the multiple retirements of former teammate Roger Clemens. The best part about that is that, of course, it was Pettitte who convinced Clemens to come out of retirement after he gloriously walked away following a World Series start in 2003.
And Pettitte's return is being treated seriously, unlike the gimmicky returns of Minnie Minoso, who was signed out of the Mexican League at the age of 50 by the White Sox in September 1976 and came out of retirement in September 1980 at the age of 54 again with the White Sox. Minoso had appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969 before his return from Mexico in '76, and he was the only player to return after appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot before Jose Rijo retired in 1995 after blowing out his elbow, appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2000, and returned to pitch with Cincinnati in 2001. And Pettitte's retirement is nothing like that of Hideo Nomo, who announced his retirement from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan so that he could avoid the posting system and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His comeback attempt will not be viewed with as much scrutiny as that of Manny Ramirez, who will begin his return to the game by serving a 50-game suspension if his comeback attempt is successful. And don't forget about people like Yogi Berra, who retired to become a manager for the Yankees in 1962, was fired after losing the World Series in 1964, and returned to play with the Mets in 1965. Berra again became a coach and eventually a manager with the Mets, winning a World Series ring as a coach in 1969 under manager Gil Hodges and winning another pennant with Mets as a manager in 1973.
Pettitte has been spending his time away from the game by spending time with his family, coaching youth baseball, and taking part in his church activities. But he was never able to grasp the fact that he was no longer a baseball player. Although he was able to go out on his own terms, he still felt an emptiness for the game.
Despite his need to be closer to his family, he was still addicted to the game. Only last summer, Pettitte was adamant that he was loving retirement. But it wasn't long before former teammate Lance Berkman began lobbying for Pettitte to return and pitch for St. Louis.
But Pettitte wouldn't return for any team other than the Yankees. But when the off-season came and went with no solid offers from the Bronx, Pettitte began to believe that perhaps his retirement was permanent. But last Friday the story broke that Pettitte had decided to return after all.
With only a few weeks left in the exhibition season, it will be interesting to see how quickly - or if at all - Pettitte can be ready to pitch in a Spring game, and even then if he can beat out RHP Phil Hughes or RHP Freddy Garcia for a spot in the rotation as a fifth starter or in the bullpen as a long reliever. One of the three has to be cut - and Pettitte is probably that candidate right now in the eyes of manager Joe Girardi (who doesn't get along with Pettitte either) - but the Steinbrenner family may give Pettittearen't hollow in any way.
He definitely was the epitome of a big-game pitcher. Pettitte's return would essentially mean that the Yankees would be willing to trade talent for guts in 2012. Pettitte was probably the least accomplished of the Big Four (also including current Yankees SS Derek Jeter and RHP Mariano Rivera and former C/DH Jorge Posada), but that doesn't mean that he didn't accomplish a lot.
Most of his teammates over the years envied Pettitte's success as much as they did that of the other three. But that only happens when Pettitte plays, not when he's out of the game, and his life after baseball probably won't include a trip to Cooperstown, especially after being linked to the PED scandal and admitting to using HGH. Certainly a lot more people are happier to see him playing then they are to see him retired.
Pettitte was always lauded as a great player even when his numbers didn't match his reputation. He was never the best pitcher on any team that he played on. Two years ago Pettite went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts, but he hasn't pitched since then and he's now 39.
Pettitte doesn't need the money and he loves spending time with his family, but he loves baseball more than both of those things. Pettitte had both family and baseball during his time with Houston, but he always felt more at home playing thousands of miles away from his family in the Bronx. Pettitte realizes that playing for the Yankees will mark the best time of his life, not spending time with his family.
And now he'll have a couple of more weeks (at least) to relive those times again. There's no doubt that Pettitte's heart beats fastest when he's on the mound, not when he's intimate with his wife. And you can bet that his heart was beating fast when he secretly threw in front of Yankees personnel a couple of days ago.
After the tryout the Yankees signed Pettitte to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training, guaranteeing him $2.5 million if he makes the team. Pettitte tried out in front of GM Brian Cashman, Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and assistant GM Gene Michael after being brought into camp as a special spring training coach, and although they were conspicuously absent, you know that Hank and Hal were well aware of everything that happened on that mound. Only a day before Pettitte's number 46 jersey hung from a locker in the coach's room instead of the clubhouse with the rest of the players.
And even the day before the tryout Pettitte was adamant that he was happy in retirement. It turns out that Pettitte had been secretly talking to the Yankees since December. Cashman admitted that he'd offered Pettitte a contract around $11 million to come back and pitch before the acquisitions of RHP Michael Pineda and RHP Hiroki Kuroda.
Pettitte worked out for most of the off-season, and kept his arm in shape by throwing batting practice to his sons. There was another opportunity for a contract on March 10 when both the Yankees and Pettitte were in Lake Buena Vista (the Yankees for a Spring Training game and Pettitte with his church), and an agreement was made on Friday. A potential payroll increase was approved by Hal and suddenly Pettitte has become a favorite to make the team in the eyes of the Yankee fan-base.
But let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet. Cashman has said that Pettitte will probably need seven weeks to be ready; he has three at most. Pettitte retired on February 4, 2011, and he hasn't thrown a pitch since October 2010. No one really knows how this move will affect the futures of Hughes and Garcia.
Pettitte said that one of the first people he heard from when the story of the signing broke was Posada. Pettite has spent 13 seasons with the Yankees and three seasons with Houston, and now he'll be going for season number 14 out of 17 with New York. He is third all-time in wins in Yankee history and second in strikeouts.
He'll try to move up the ranks now. Jeter has said in the past that nothing surprises him anymore. So he was not shocked when heard the news of Pettitte's comeback attempt.
3B Alex Rodriguez has said that Pettitte will be hailed as a hero every time he enters the Yankees clubhouse as an active player - no matter how long that lasts. RF Nick Swisher said that he was able to connect the dots when he golfed with Pettitte earlier in the exhibition season and noticed that the former pitcher had obviously been working out. RHP Ivan Nova used to view video of Pettitte pitching in the postseason to see how it was supposed to look, and now he may have a chance to view it in person this October.
Jeter told reporters last weekend that a year away from the game may have changed Pettitte's desire to spend time with his wife, Laura. And as happy as as many people are to have Pettitte pitching again, many others are unhappy to see it happening again. Pettitte may certainly be worth a look, but his signing may also spell doom for either Hughes or Garcia.
Hughes has been mostly noncommittal and politically correct since the signing, increased competition, and discussions about the logjam, while Garcia has been more business-like and cut and dry since the signing. Suffering from a swollen hand after being hit by a come backer, Garcia is expected to miss one Spring start while he recovers. Garcia signed a $4 million guaranteed contract with the Yankees last November following a strong 2011 season, but since then the team has acquired Pineda, Kuroda, and now Pettitte, and suddenly Garcia finds himself looking hard at being released.
When C Russell Martin heard about the possibility of Pettitte pitching again he described the scenario as "awesome." It certainly wouldn't have been unprecedented. Mike Donlin is believed to be the first baseball player to come out of retirement, and he first retired in 1908. He came out of retirement in 1911 after spending a couple of years as a vaudeville star in Hollywood and a marriage to a starlet.
Pettitte's retirement from baseball was far less dramatic than Donlin's. For that matter, his retirement has been far-less dramatic than Ryne Sandberg's, who retired in 1994 after being named to ten All-Star teams. And his return has been far-less dramatic then other sports figures like NBA player Michael Jordan, who retired from basketball three times, and came back twice (once after pursuing a professional baseball career and once with the Wizards after he bought the team).
Instead, Pettitte's retirement and return is more similar to that of Dave Stieb, a star pitcher in the 1980s who was released in 1992 by Toronto and retired after making four starts with the White Sox in 1993. But he returned to the Blue Jays in 1998 and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen and made three starts. Pettitte's return in no way mirrors the dramatic return of Johnny King, who walked away from the game after winning the World Series with the Cubs in 1908 and became a professional pool player (winning the World's Pool Championship in 1909), but returned to the Cubs in 1910.
Oh by the way, King's billiard tables are now amongst the most valuable in the world. And of course, Pettitte's retirement is far-less dramatic than the multiple retirements of former teammate Roger Clemens. The best part about that is that, of course, it was Pettitte who convinced Clemens to come out of retirement after he gloriously walked away following a World Series start in 2003.
And Pettitte's return is being treated seriously, unlike the gimmicky returns of Minnie Minoso, who was signed out of the Mexican League at the age of 50 by the White Sox in September 1976 and came out of retirement in September 1980 at the age of 54 again with the White Sox. Minoso had appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969 before his return from Mexico in '76, and he was the only player to return after appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot before Jose Rijo retired in 1995 after blowing out his elbow, appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2000, and returned to pitch with Cincinnati in 2001. And Pettitte's retirement is nothing like that of Hideo Nomo, who announced his retirement from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan so that he could avoid the posting system and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His comeback attempt will not be viewed with as much scrutiny as that of Manny Ramirez, who will begin his return to the game by serving a 50-game suspension if his comeback attempt is successful. And don't forget about people like Yogi Berra, who retired to become a manager for the Yankees in 1962, was fired after losing the World Series in 1964, and returned to play with the Mets in 1965. Berra again became a coach and eventually a manager with the Mets, winning a World Series ring as a coach in 1969 under manager Gil Hodges and winning another pennant with Mets as a manager in 1973.
Pettitte has been spending his time away from the game by spending time with his family, coaching youth baseball, and taking part in his church activities. But he was never able to grasp the fact that he was no longer a baseball player. Although he was able to go out on his own terms, he still felt an emptiness for the game.
Despite his need to be closer to his family, he was still addicted to the game. Only last summer, Pettitte was adamant that he was loving retirement. But it wasn't long before former teammate Lance Berkman began lobbying for Pettitte to return and pitch for St. Louis.
But Pettitte wouldn't return for any team other than the Yankees. But when the off-season came and went with no solid offers from the Bronx, Pettitte began to believe that perhaps his retirement was permanent. But last Friday the story broke that Pettitte had decided to return after all.
With only a few weeks left in the exhibition season, it will be interesting to see how quickly - or if at all - Pettitte can be ready to pitch in a Spring game, and even then if he can beat out RHP Phil Hughes or RHP Freddy Garcia for a spot in the rotation as a fifth starter or in the bullpen as a long reliever. One of the three has to be cut - and Pettitte is probably that candidate right now in the eyes of manager Joe Girardi (who doesn't get along with Pettitte either) - but the Steinbrenner family may give Pettittearen't hollow in any way.
He definitely was the epitome of a big-game pitcher. Pettitte's return would essentially mean that the Yankees would be willing to trade talent for guts in 2012. Pettitte was probably the least accomplished of the Big Four (also including current Yankees SS Derek Jeter and RHP Mariano Rivera and former C/DH Jorge Posada), but that doesn't mean that he didn't accomplish a lot.
Most of his teammates over the years envied Pettitte's success as much as they did that of the other three. But that only happens when Pettitte plays, not when he's out of the game, and his life after baseball probably won't include a trip to Cooperstown, especially after being linked to the PED scandal and admitting to using HGH. Certainly a lot more people are happier to see him playing then they are to see him retired.
Pettitte was always lauded as a great player even when his numbers didn't match his reputation. He was never the best pitcher on any team that he played on. Two years ago Pettite went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts, but he hasn't pitched since then and he's now 39.
Pettitte doesn't need the money and he loves spending time with his family, but he loves baseball more than both of those things. Pettitte had both family and baseball during his time with Houston, but he always felt more at home playing thousands of miles away from his family in the Bronx. Pettitte realizes that playing for the Yankees will mark the best time of his life, not spending time with his family.
And now he'll have a couple of more weeks (at least) to relive those times again. There's no doubt that Pettitte's heart beats fastest when he's on the mound, not when he's intimate with his wife. And you can bet that his heart was beating fast when he secretly threw in front of Yankees personnel a couple of days ago.
After the tryout the Yankees signed Pettitte to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training, guaranteeing him $2.5 million if he makes the team. Pettitte tried out in front of GM Brian Cashman, Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and assistant GM Gene Michael after being brought into camp as a special spring training coach, and although they were conspicuously absent, you know that Hank and Hal were well aware of everything that happened on that mound. Only a day before Pettitte's number 46 jersey hung from a locker in the coach's room instead of the clubhouse with the rest of the players.
And even the day before the tryout Pettitte was adamant that he was happy in retirement. It turns out that Pettitte had been secretly talking to the Yankees since December. Cashman admitted that he'd offered Pettitte a contract around $11 million to come back and pitch before the acquisitions of RHP Michael Pineda and RHP Hiroki Kuroda.
Pettitte worked out for most of the off-season, and kept his arm in shape by throwing batting practice to his sons. There was another opportunity for a contract on March 10 when both the Yankees and Pettitte were in Lake Buena Vista (the Yankees for a Spring Training game and Pettitte with his church), and an agreement was made on Friday. A potential payroll increase was approved by Hal and suddenly Pettitte has become a favorite to make the team in the eyes of the Yankee fan-base.
But let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet. Cashman has said that Pettitte will probably need seven weeks to be ready; he has three at most. Pettitte retired on February 4, 2011, and he hasn't thrown a pitch since October 2010. No one really knows how this move will affect the futures of Hughes and Garcia.
Pettitte said that one of the first people he heard from when the story of the signing broke was Posada. Pettite has spent 13 seasons with the Yankees and three seasons with Houston, and now he'll be going for season number 14 out of 17 with New York. He is third all-time in wins in Yankee history and second in strikeouts.
He'll try to move up the ranks now. Jeter has said in the past that nothing surprises him anymore. So he was not shocked when heard the news of Pettitte's comeback attempt.
3B Alex Rodriguez has said that Pettitte will be hailed as a hero every time he enters the Yankees clubhouse as an active player - no matter how long that lasts. RF Nick Swisher said that he was able to connect the dots when he golfed with Pettitte earlier in the exhibition season and noticed that the former pitcher had obviously been working out. RHP Ivan Nova used to view video of Pettitte pitching in the postseason to see how it was supposed to look, and now he may have a chance to view it in person this October.
Jeter told reporters last weekend that a year away from the game may have changed Pettitte's desire to spend time with his wife, Laura. And as happy as as many people are to have Pettitte pitching again, many others are unhappy to see it happening again. Pettitte may certainly be worth a look, but his signing may also spell doom for either Hughes or Garcia.
Hughes has been mostly noncommittal and politically correct since the signing, increased competition, and discussions about the logjam, while Garcia has been more business-like and cut and dry since the signing. Suffering from a swollen hand after being hit by a come backer, Garcia is expected to miss one Spring start while he recovers. Garcia signed a $4 million guaranteed contract with the Yankees last November following a strong 2011 season, but since then the team has acquired Pineda, Kuroda, and now Pettitte, and suddenly Garcia finds himself looking hard at being released.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
St. Norbert Captures National Championship
The St. Norbert Green Knights captured their second straight NCAA D-III National Championship Saturday night after defeating Oswego 4-1 in Lake Placid, NY. The Green Knights punishing defense and spectacular goaltending propelled them to a dominated victory over the Lakers. St. Norbert forward Cody Keefer recorded a hat trick in the game and goalie David Jacobson was named the MVP after recording 29 saves and playing outstanding throughout the entire tournament. Congratulations to St. Norbert on a spectacular season.
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